Shinkirou
by chibi heishi
Summary: AU cliche. When the Sandaime fell, a nightmare descended upon Konoha. But on the day the nightmare began, no one noticed that one teacher's aid and a few young children disappeared. That simple fact may be the only hope Konoha has left.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Very short prologue here - but the first chapter is almost done. Yes, the plot is cheesy and over-used, but it won't leave me alone. No, there will be no romance here. At least, nothing overt - if you want to read into it, that's your right.

**Disclaimer:** The usual for me, T for language and violence (and cliche' ness in this one), and I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Konoha mourned. The attempted kidnapping of the young Hyuuga heiress had sparked a brief but bloody war with the Lighting country, during which the Sandaime had fallen in battle. The horrendous loss – occurring only four years after the loss of the beloved Yondaime – was unimaginable.

The people of Konoha, though victorious, nonetheless felt as though they had been beaten. They were lost, leaderless. Children cried quietly as adults looked to one another in nearly hopeless confusion. The Leaf shinobi did their best to promote a feeling of security, but without a Kage to stand before them they were only so effective.

Finally, a leader arose from the chaos. The elder Danzo stood up, rallying the ROOT division behind him as he returned order to Konoha. Konoha's people would later reflect that that was the start of their downfall.

However, there was one ray of hope left to the people. On the day that Danzo took power, few noticed – and fewer still cared – that an Academy teacher's assistant was still unaccounted for, or that a small number of very young children went missing. After all, as kind as he was, his comrades were too busy tending their own broken families to worry about whether or not they had seen the orphan boy since the last battle.

By the time his absence was remarked upon, it was assumed that Umino, Iruka must have been among the dead.

And of course, no one missed the Kyuubi brat.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Okay, couple of quick notes. First, if anyone cares - according to my dictionary, Shinkirou means mirage. You'll see why. Second, I've tried to keep the characters as IC as possible, but considering the environment I've put them in, please don't be too offended if a character you like doesn't behave the way they normally do.

Thank you to this story's reviewers: **iNsAnE nO bAkA, WhyMustIWrite **and **Micah.n10**. And lastly, I don't own anything in Konoha - not even a ramen bowl.

* * *

The figure moved silently, sandaled feet slipping over the stone without making so much as a whisper. A hesitation – the slightest of rustles, paper against silk – and the figure moved again, finally coming to a rest, sheltered against the ruins of what was once a high wall. The night was still, silent under the absent light of the new moon.

Anyone looking out of their windows would have seen nothing, heard nothing. Not that anyone would have looked. ANBU was for daylight, was slightly approachable as long as you stayed within the acceptable boundaries. But once the sun went down… All of Konoha's people knew that it was not wise to risk accidentally catching sight of ROOT's operatives. Rumors had it that people had disappeared for less. Parents tacked their children's curtains drawn to prevent the curious from sights that were not safe to see.

But long moments – an eternity of silence, of stillness – later, and there was once again movement in the darkness. A form stepped warily into view, caution evident in every line of muscle. A voice – quiet, male, but so young – sounded. Not in a whisper – never a whisper, because whispers carried – but low nonetheless, he dared to speak. "Are you here?"

The first figure moved again, stepping into the teen's line of sight. "I am." The soft, high voice revealed the figure to be female, but also young. "What can you tell us?"

The teenager was not quite able to repress a startled flinch, sending his shoulder-length black hair swinging. "They plan to cull the children in a week. Friday night, I think. They will probably take _her_. Then there are two who haven't shown potential yet, and a third who is sickly. That's in this clan. Shiro says there are none in her clan who are in danger this time, but Kin and Kuro haven't been able to get me intel on their clans yet."

The girl nodded, the motion almost imperceptible. "We'll try and get in touch with him. Thank you, we –" her head snapped up, voice sharpening in sudden urgency. "Someone's coming!" As the pair broke apart, the girl murmured quickly. "Be careful, Brother."

Agonizing seconds later, as Neji lay in his bed wishing that he could have risked the chakra spike to activate the Byakugon, he murmured under his breath for a girl who was – he hoped – safely gone. "No, _you_ be careful… Hinata."

**-one week later-**

Kakashi stood still, his face unreadable even despite being hidden behind the white ANBU mask. His one visible eye moved periodically over the crowd gathered around him, but he consciously tried not to take in their faces. He tried to occupy himself with his own thoughts, but as always, even they betrayed him. _'I'm not sure anymore which one I hate more – HIM for doing this, or myself for allowing it.'_

One member of the crowd – Hyuuga Hizashi, he realized – placed a hand briefly on his arm, squeezing quickly before dropping it back into place at his side. _'This must be even more painful for him.'_ the Copy Ninja realized. _'His clan supported Danzo, and look how he betrayed them. He broke down the walls around their House, killed a number of their strongest shinobi and put Uchiha watchdogs on their steps. And now there is nothing that they can do as the children of their clan are "culled", the strongest taken for ROOT and the weakest either killed or sealed, their chakra completely inaccessible. He can't even be there, only the children, the Clan Head and the tester.'_

It was wrong, horrendous even, but at the beginning the measures that Danzo had taken had seemed reasonable. To put ROOT above ANBU was acceptable since the new Hokage had been personally certain of their skill and loyalty. To put the strongest children in a special training program while Konoha was at war was understandable. The first few 'traitors' that ROOT had ferreted out had been, if not suspected, then believable.

It was not until ROOT had started refusing to divulge the fates of some of these prisoners, and later taking people without explanation that Konoha had realized it had made a terrible mistake. A number of the Clan Heads – such as Hyuuga Hiashi and his twin – had been taken for 'questioning and had their chakra sealed. Now all the men could do was watch helplessly as their clan was reduced to nearly nothing.

Kakashi hated it. It didn't even matter to him anymore that to leave the shinobi ranks without an express order from the Hokage was now death. The only thing that kept him in ANBU was the knowledge that sometimes – rarely – ANBU was able to intercede with ROOT on behalf of one of Konoha's people. By being the public face, by investigating charges himself, he could at least prevent _some_ innocent people from being convicted of crimes that were just plain bullshit. It was the only reason he stayed, and he knew that most of his comrades felt the same.

But then his attention was pulled away when he heard the crowd buzzing excitedly. He looked around, but his unasked question was answered as Hizashi took note of his confusion. "They're saying that the children who were supposed to be tested have disappeared. They were under another's guard last night, none of the clan was allowed near them."

Kakashi's eyes widened behind his mask. And then the crowd's attention was drawn as the front doors of the Hyuuga House were thrown open, and Hyuuga Hiashi was 'escorted' out of the House, flanked by two of ANBU's own. Kakashi more felt than saw the flash of fear that ran through the man beside him as his twin was taken from their house.

The older man spoke quietly to the two guards beside him, and one of the pair nodded. The trio angled towards Kakashi – or more specifically, the man beside him. Hiashi spoke quietly to his twin. "It seems that I have to go and answer some questions. You're in charge here until I get back."

To his credit, though relief flashed in his eyes, Hizashi simply nodded, casting a glance to the two ANBU and reaching out to clasp his brother's shoulder when they signaled permission. Kakashi walked with Hizashi, parting the excited crowd so that the man could pass.

From the corner of his eye, Kakashi thought he saw a young face, filled with fear and all too familiar. But when he spun to look, even tugging down his under-mask to allow his Sharingan eye to sweep the crowd, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Under the curious eyes of the Hyuuga clan, he shrugged it off as simply his guilty conscience. He couldn't have seen what he thought he had – everyone knew (now) that little Hyuuga Hinata had been killed the night Danzo took power, one of the first victims of the new Konoha.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow. This has been up for less than 24 hours and it already has 5 reviews and 82 hits. Speaking of reviews, thanks to those who gave them, namely: **iNsAnE nO bAkA, WhyMustIWrite **and **micah.n10**. Hang on boys and girls, this is going to be a ride.

**Note:** Some of the people mentioned here are using code names. These are as follows: Shiro means white, Kuro means black. Kin means golden. Aoi means blue and Akai means red. See if you can guess who goes by what code name as the story goes on. (Aoi I already gave you, and I'll give you a hint - Shiro and Akai are both older than the kids, but younger than Iruka.)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto universe, I just warp it to suit me.

* * *

The seven year old stared, wide eyed as she was led through tunnels that she had never known even existed. Hanabi held tightly to the hand of the dark haired teen who had broken Hanabi and three other children out of the House before they were culled. When he finally paused, reaching out to light a torch, she couldn't help but gape as the flickering light revealed the face of her rescuer.

Dark messy hair, rough features, dark eyes… and facial tattoos beneath those eyes. There was no doubt about it, the boy was an Inuzuka. Hanabi had only actually seen two members of the once-famous tracking specialist clan in her life. The Inuzuka were rumored to have been too wild, too opinionated to be tolerated. It was said that they had tried to stand up to the Hokage, and as a result, had been almost entirely destroyed. There was only a small remnant of the clan left now, and they tended to stay out of sight.

She had never really believed those rumors, but here this boy was, large as life and twice as arrogant if his wild grin was any indication.

"My name," the boy had informed the small group as he had crouched in the windowsill, "is Kiba. And I'm the guy who's going to save your asses."

The little girl was completely overwhelmed, she didn't know what to think. One day she had been dreading being taken, and now she had been rescued by a boy who shouldn't exist. She almost wished she wasn't the strongest child in the clan – the _average_ kids didn't have this problem.

-

A soft woof echoed in the tunnels, drawing the attention of the group currently gathered around the table. A bright smile lit up the face of a blond pre-teen, making the whisker-like marks on his cheeks seem to deepen. "Kiba's back!" Naruto cried happily, struggling to get up.

A tanned hand dropped onto the boy's shoulder, effortlessly keeping the over eager blond down. "Easy, Naruto-kun. You heal fast, but not _that_ fast. Akamaru wouldn't be so at ease if something was wrong, and you'll frighten the new kids if you go bouncing up to them."

Naruto pouted a little, but he settled back down onto his stool, blue eyes eagerly watching the entrance. Sure enough, a moment later brought the arrival of a small white dog, followed by a group of six young children and ending with the feral Inuzuka boy.

A grin and a wave, and the boy ushered the kids towards the table. "Hey, guys. This is the new batch. The Hyuuga kids are: Hanabi, Goro, Hitomi, Namu and Jira." Kiba gestured to each of the children as he spoke. "The blonde girl is Yamanaka, Chisa – we got in touch with Kin. They're both alright, by the way. Kin was sick, and Kuro had to go out of town with his teacher for a few days, that's why they couldn't contact us."

The one who had held down Naruto stepped into the light. The young children peered curiously up into a tanned face marked by a long horizontal scar across the nose. But to the children, the most remarkable thing about the man before them was his eyes. A warm, chocolate brown, those eyes showed a kindness, a gentleness that most of them had only seen for brief seconds in their parents. The eyes of most adults were almost always guarded, weary or fearful. But this man… this man's eyes were open, clearly showing his relief at Kiba's words. And then those remarkable eyes focused on them.

The man smiled, and even as frightened as they were, they couldn't help but smile back as he spoke. "Hello, everyone. My name is Iruka. Welcome to Sanctuary."

-

All through Konoha, the streets buzzed with low gossip. Word of the children's disappearance spread like wildfire, not the slightest bit discouraged by ROOT's denial of the rumor. This wasn't the first time such rumors had spread, and some were beginning to speculate that these occurrences might not be unconnected. The idea that someone not only dared, but was apparently _succeeding_ in defying ROOT caught the imaginations of the people.

Kakashi and his fellow ANBU agents were kept busy telling people not to talk of such things, trying desperately to stop the whispers before ROOT took matters into its' own hands. It wasn't possible, the rumors were just that. Rumors. It was a fluke that the children had managed to escape, but Kakashi was sure that it was only a matter of time before they were found.

There was no secret resistance saving the children. Kakashi _wished_ it could be true, but there was simply no one left in Konoha with both the power and the will to stand up to Danzo.

-

Iruka rubbed his eyes tiredly, waiting up long after most of the children had gone to bed. Finally his patience was rewarded. A quiet signal, a soft footstep and the slight figure of a girl slipped into the room. "Where have you been, Hinata-chan?" he asked. "I've been worried about you."

The twelve year old ducked her head, not meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry sensei. But I thought that Hatake-san may have spotted me around the House, so I wanted to make sure that I wasn't followed."

Iruka smiled at the gentle girl, thinking suddenly that she was a far cry from the panicked child that he had found running from ROOT operatives so long ago. He tilted his head slightly to question her about one last thing. "And your father? Is there any word on him?"

A small, bright smile finally bloomed on the girl's face, answering Iruka's question even before she spoke. "Yes, he's fine. Since the children weren't under the Clan's guard, there was no way that they could charge him with releasing them. Aoi says that he is safely back at home now."

He smiled right back at her. "That's great, I'm glad he's alright, Hinata-chan. One day, we're going to make Konoha alright again, and when we do, we can all go home. I'm sure that Hiashi-san will be so proud of you. But for now, come morning, you can finally get to know your little sister."

The pre-teen and the teacher sat together then, each quietly dreaming of better days that the younger could barely imagine.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** This story just will not let me go! I have this whole document that I've labeled "Shinkirou misc Scenes" because I can't use them yet, but they demand to be written. Anyway, thank you again to my reviewers: **jazzy2may, micah.n10, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Ryu Earth **and **vefa**. I think this is going to become quite a ride.

BTW, I am going to try and start including a little bit about the way Iruka got some of the kids, and some scenes which should help you guys figure out which code names belong to who. Just to remind: Shiro means white, Kuro means black. Kin means golden. Aoi means blue and Akai means red. Shiro and Akai are both older than the kids, but younger than Iruka. And :_ this means dream/memory _:

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in Naruto's universe, especially not the people whose lives I'm mangling. Rated T for language, violence and general cliche'ness.  


* * *

Shiro tossed uneasily in her sleep, her rest disturbed yet again by the same nightmare which had plagued her for years. The one she could never get rid of, because it was more than a dream. Memories are so much harder to banish.

: _She ran, failing to keep the tears from spilling down her small face. She wanted to help, wanted to fight, but she had been given a mission and shinobi do __**not**__ fail their missions. _

_The ten-year-old stumbled almost blindly down the corridor, finding the correct room more by instinct than anything else. She cast a wild glance around the room, nearly panicked when she did not immediately find her target. The Academy student held her breath, trying to hear past her own racing heartbeat._

_The smallest of sounds caught her attention, and the girl raced towards the toy hamper in the far corner of the room. Opening the lid, she heaved a relieved sigh as a small, frightened face peered up at her. _

_The child uttered a tiny cry of relief, reaching up for the girl who eagerly reached back. She held the child close for just a moment, placing a desperate kiss on the little forehead. "Stay safe." she whispered. "I'm sorry, I love you." _

_And she struck quickly, the edge of her hand slamming into the back of the child's neck. She choked on her tears as the child's dark eyes snapped wide with confusion, fear and utter betrayal. Quickly hiding the little one__deeper among the toys, she closed the lid and spun back towards the door. _

_The girl sank to the floor in a low, subservient gesture as the door burst open, admitting two armed men into the playroom. "Welcome, sirs." the girl said, her down-turned face hiding the fear and shame in her eyes. :_

-

Harsh breathing rang out in the cavern, occasionally punctuated by a gasp or grunt. The four children standing in the middle of the large ring drawn on the ground moved smoothly, three fanning out to circle the fourth.

The three rushed in, making the dark haired boy they were sparring twist quickly to one side, dropping a hand briefly to the ground as a counterbalance while he snapped his leg out in a blindingly fast hook kick that made two of his opponents scramble back.

The boy pushed off with one foot, raising himself completely onto his hands as he lashed out with both feet, catching the last of his opponents squarely in the chest.

But even as the boy rolled out of his impromptu handstand, the first opponent was on his feet and coming in with a hard chakra-infused palm strike that connected with the boy's shoulder, effectively numbing the limb.

The lone boy hissed as he slid back, and finally one of the group's two observers could not take the tension anymore. Naruto shouted, banging one hand into his other palm as he both chastised and encouraged the single fighter. "Come _on_, Sasuke! Quit being such a pushover! Don't let those three beat you, I _know _you're better than this."

The named fighter shot a quick glare over at the loud-mouthed blond, practically snarling back. "Shut _up_, Naruto! I don't see you out here! Shit!" The last word was nearly yelped as Sasuke had to backpedal hard and fast to avoid one of his sparring partners.

The girl tossed a quick grin to Naruto. "Thanks, Naruto-kun. You distracted him for me." Naruto gaped at Hinata as Sasuke growled, launching himself at the girl. Red tinted eyes met pale blue ones for a second, and then Sasuke was staring up at the ceiling, trying to clear his vision of the stars crowding it.

The second observer spoke then. "All right, that's enough for today. Hinata-chan, Kiba-kun, Lee-kun, thank you all for working with Sasuke-kun."

All three children attempted to deny the praise, since it helped them to grow stronger as well. "Besides," Kiba laughed, "next time it'll be Hinata we're ganging up on."

The girl blushed, causing all the males to laugh again.

Then Iruka turned back to the now black-eyed boy sitting up on the floor. "Sasuke-kun, do you know what you did wrong?"

The boy sighed, running one hand through his hair. "Yes, sensei. I lost my temper and focused on Hinata instead of keeping track of all of my opponents. I didn't pay attention to Kiba or Lee, so one of them got me from behind."

"And?"

"And the Sharingan is only as effective as its' user."

A few minutes later, and all five children were gathered around the water cooler, chatting eagerly about this attack or that block during the match. Iruka watched them with a slightly wistful smile, glancing down when Akamaru scratched hesitantly at his leg. "I'm alright, Akamaru. I just… They all trust me so much. I wish I could do more for them."

-

Kakashi glanced up as one of his ANBU entered the room. "You called for me, captain?" the younger man asked. Kakashi nodded, silently gesturing Spider to take a seat.

He suppressed a weary sigh, reminding himself silently that this was the last time today he would have to question one of his own. And that if he didn't do it, then ROOT's interrogators would.

Kakashi looked at the young Aburame sitting across from him, making sure to keep his expression appropriately bland. "Alright, Spider. Our squad was one of those assigned to track the missing Hyuuga children." A slight motion informed the squad captain that his underling was listening closely.

"Considering our failure to date in finding them, we need to examine our methods more closely." They both knew that what the Copy Ninja actually meant was that ROOT wanted to find someone to blame, and was hoping to route out some discontent to use as 'proof' of betrayal.

Kakashi went through the usual questions, paying close attention to the younger man's words and tone. Kakashi knew, even if Spider didn't, that there were ROOT operatives observing the exchange.

Spider described the steps he had taken to search for the children and the lack of evidence as to their whereabouts, and Kakashi promptly cross-examined him on it.

Once the questioning was through and Spider had been dismissed, a hidden panel in Kakashi's office opened up, revealing the operative stationed to monitor the questioning. They exchanged a few formalities – namely the operative informing Kakashi that he had caught no trace of deceit, and so his squad was free to continue with their usual responsibilities – before the other man left.

Once the door closed, Kakashi sat quietly in his office, an uncommon light of curiosity in his eyes.

Spider had answered in a straightforward manner, his voice and eyes level and cool. It was utterly professional, completely detached. Exactly the way one would respond to an enemy interrogator.

Though the ROOT operative had been unable to see the man's face, and therefore missed it, there was no doubt in Kakashi's mind.

Spider had lied.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** *sighs* Okay, this chapter is done. Hopefully now the plot bunny will let me sleep, especially since I have class in 7 1/2 hours. Anyway, thanks again to my reviewers: **iNsAnE nO bAkA, xDelta-Ha-chanx, WhyMustIWrite, c, micah.n10 **and **Julieanna333.**

**Disclaimer:** Rated T, don't own Naruto.  
**

* * *

**: _He looked up, tears filling his blue eyes as yet another bruise ached on his little limbs. Naruto didn't understand why everyone was so mean to him, why they all pushed him down and walked by him. _

_But it wasn't the pain that filled his eyes with tears this time, it was fear. All of the grownups were so sad, so… he wasn't sure what they were, having no understanding yet of despair, but whatever it was it scared him. In all of his four years, Naruto had never felt anything like this in the air. He didn't like it, wanted it to go away._

_His eyes were pulled off of the ground as a shadow fell across his legs. Bright blue eyes looked up straight into brown ones, the toddler and the teenager staring at each other for a long moment in time. _

_Finally the tanned teenager spoke, surprising Naruto with the hesitation in his voice. "You're… Naruto-chan, right?" _

_The little blond nodded just as hesitantly, and the teen took a deep breath. "My name is Iruka, and… and you can't stay here anymore. They'll hurt you. I'm… going to get you out of here, get you somewhere safe. That is, if… you'll come?" _

_Naruto blinked, not really understanding the older boy's words. But he __**did **__understand the uncertainty in the other's eyes, and the hand that was tentatively held out to him. Blue eyes lighting up, Naruto lunged for that hand. _

_Years later, Iruka had told him that he hadn't really wanted to take Naruto back then. That he had only done it because he knew that the Third and Fourth Hokages had both wanted the blond protected, and Iruka had felt that the Fifth would not honor that._

_On the day Iruka had confessed this, Naruto had smiled brightly at the young man. "I know." he had said. "But you held out your hand, and you didn't let me go. And that's what matters." _

_Iruka had simply pulled the nine-year-old into a tight hug, smiling back at the boy. _:

-

It was ridiculously late – or early, depending on how you looked at it – and there was only one light lit in the entire ANBU headquarters building. In a small corner office, the rustle of paper could be heard, occasionally punctuated by a short sigh.

Kakashi rubbed his eyes tiredly, looking blearily over the papers spread all over every available surface. Suddenly his mind caught on one specific piece of documentation among the many he had read. Or more specifically, on one piece that he _should_ have read, but hadn't. Suddenly energized, Kakashi quickly searched again through paperwork eight years old.

Long moments later he sat back, his voice confused but his eyes thoughtful. "They didn't verify the ashes with the council." he murmured. "Why didn't they have the Hyuuga heiress's ashes verification recorded?"

Four short hours later, the third ANBU squad peered cautiously into their Captain's office, slightly worried by his lateness to their meeting. Hare gestured the others back once she visually verified that their leader was breathing, leaving the man sleeping at his desk.

None of the squad approached close enough to realize that the paperwork underneath Kakashi's arm included multiple reports of children sought by ROOT, but no reports of those same children being found.

-

The girl bowed her head, eyes demurely on the ground. The angle of her chin hid her expression, only giving a view of the two braids pinned atop her head as the man before her scolded her. He held a weapon casually in one hand, tapping it lightly as he spoke.

"You've come a long way, you really have. And I think, if you really focus, then you could become as skilled a weapon-smith as any of us. But you still have a long way to go, and this is not acceptable. You've strained it too much, the steel in it is too weak. This kunai is unusable."

"Yes, uncle. I understand. I apologize." the girl murmured.

Once the man left, closing the door behind him, the girl stood quietly for a moment. And then she stepped into a corner of her room, prying up a strip of the molding around the ceiling. She removed a small object, handling her creation gently.

Tenten couldn't stop the small, proud smile as she looked down at the Leaf hitai-ate in her hands.

-

Kuro sat still outwardly, but inwardly his mind was racing. The Academy's Headmaster – aka the ROOT liason – had just announced the latest declaration… Curfew had been rolled back to seven pm. Anyone found on the streets without approved business after that time would be brought in for immediate questioning.

He thought quickly, trying to work out the best way to warn the Sanctuary group that the 'safe' hours had just changed. Throughout the day, many ideas were thought up and discarded until he finally found one that he thought would work.

A short pause in front of a certain window, a brief lean of forehead against glass and Kuro moved on to his desk. The signal had been sent, all he could do now was wait.

Kin would contact him just as soon as she could.

-

The man standing at the Tower window held himself straight, giving an impression of strength and authority despite his advanced age. After a long silence, Danzo turned to look at the young ROOT agent kneeling behind him. "Well?" the man asked.

The young agent made a quick gesture of denial. "We have found nothing, Danzo-sama. It is as if the children vanished into the air. It is almost certainly _their_ doing, sir."

A brief silence, and then Danzo moved back to his desk, speaking through slightly clenched teeth. "These damn rebels are like in illusion of some sort. No, more like a mirage – just when you think you might be getting close enough to see it, then there is nothing there. And just when you are nearly convinced that you never saw anything to begin with, it appears again."

The Fifth Hokage glared at his desk for a long moment, and then he turned his attention back to the teenager. "You are dismissed, for now."

A bow, and the boy called Sai vanished.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I now have over six pages of scenes that I can't use yet. *sighs* Anyway, here is the next part. Remember, _'this'_ is thoughts and _: this is memory/dream :_

Thank you to my reviewers: **ChibiAliChan, xdelta_ha-chanx, iNsAnE nO bAkA, vefa, WhyMustIWrite **and **Chibi**.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, then Iruka would get a lot more screen time than he does. And this is rated T for language and violence.

* * *

: _One little boy bounced excitedly, his black eyes flashing with emotion. The three year old waved his hand enthusiastically in the air, eager to share his answers with the class. _

_The temporary day care worker – a real ninja! With a scar across his nose and everything! – laughed. "All right" the older boy chuckled. "How about you?"_

"_My name is Rock, Lee and guess what… I'm gonna be a ninja when I get big!" He puffed up with pride, so happy that his parents had said yes. And then he shrieked as a little girl with brown hair pulled into pigtails smacked him on the back of his head. _

"_Dummy!" the girl scolded. "We're all s'pose ta be ninjas." _

_The aide intervened quickly, reaching out to pull the sniffling boy into his arms. "Now, Ten-chan, you shouldn't hit Lee-chan like that:" the teen scolded. "Do any of you know what it means to be shinobi. …Ah, ninjas" he corrected as he saw the blank look on most of the tiny faces. _

_One little boy punched a hand in the air. "Yeah, means we beat up bad guys!" _

_The scarred young shinobi sighed. "Come here, I'll tell you what it means." All of the children gathered eagerly around the ninja, staring in fascination as he took off his shiny headband thing and held it out for them to touch. _"_I want you all to look carefully at this." he told them. He actually let it go, allowing the children to handle the item as he reached for a pen and paper. The boy drew something quickly, calling the children's attention to it as he finished._

"_Look here, kids. Do you see this picture of a leaf?" The crowd of children nodded, not really sure what the big deal was. But the young ninja wasn't finished. "This is how most people in other Countries draw leaves. Do you see the way that so many of these lines are on their own, not really connected to anything?" _

_The kids nodded again, a few even bothering to study the picture. _

"_Good. Now I want you to look at the leaf picture on this hitai… um, this headband. You see how it's all one line, how it's all connected?" The kids nodded again, including one little girl who thought that she was starting to see where this talk was going. _

"_Good. We draw it this way, because in Konoha, we aren't alone. We're not even teams – we're all people of Konoha. We're almost like one big family, and none of us are ever really alone. We have to watch out for each other, to help each other. If one of us is weak, or doesn't understand – if one of us is a 'dummy', Ten-chan – then the rest helps that one. We stand up for each other and don't let anyone mess with us. That's what it means to be Konoha ninjas. Do you understand?" _

_The children stared in awe, nodding slowly as the boy's words impacted them all to varying degrees._ :

Sakura woke slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. _'That dream again'_ she thought. The pink-haired girl felt a brief sting of familiar disappointment – she had wanted _so_ badly to be a ninja, but the Godaime had declared that civilians were not eligible to enter the Academy anymore.

'_That young ninja… I wonder what happened to him.'_ Her mind still slightly fuzzy, she mused on the familiar dream. _'He was probably killed – that's not the kind of thing that they let you learn anymore. Still, I wish…'_

Sakura finally sat up, trying to banish the words and image of a young ninja whose name she could no longer remember.

-

Iruka looked critically over the gathered group, taking in every detail as he mentally checked off certain marks. Each of the group was dressed appropriately, their clothing dark blue or grey or green. Even Akamaru had ash rubbed into his fur, turning the small dog a dark grey color. But not black. Too many shinobi had been caught because they were darker than the shadows around them, and he refused to lose any of his kids on such a routine errand. Though of course, 'routine' for Sanctuary's children was a little more dangerous than it was when Iruka was their age.

Regardless, each child was armed enough to be useful, but not so much that it would weigh them down. Each wore a small backpack – made in Sanctuary itself – designed to sit high on the back so as not to impair their ability to twist and bend. This was especially important for the more acrobatic fighters like Lee and Naruto. A brief nod from Iruka, and Hinata activated her Byakugon. Stepping into the opening of the tunnel, the girl held up one hand, and everyone held their breath until she signaled the all clear.

The group slipped out, Iruka and Hinata taking point while Kiba and Akamaru brought up the rear. Naruto suppressed an eager twitch, excited to finally be allowed into the field again. The six-man team – and one dog – moved quietly through the dark streets. Twelve long minutes later, and the team fanned out around their target. Kiba, Akamaru and Hinata positioned themselves along the perimeter, acting as lookouts while the other three secured their targets.

Sasuke, Lee and Naruto gathered the items Iruka had assigned each one as quickly as they could, all the while keeping their eyes and ears open for any sign of the enemy. The three boys also filled Kiba and Hinata's packs for them, while Iruka moved quietly among the room, deciding if there was anything that they had not anticipated but could still use. Once each pack was filled, Iruka placed a small sack where some of the stolen items had once sat.

The team moved out, quietly signaling for the sentries to rejoin the team. And then Hinata signaled, her Byakugon showing her two shinobi moving their way. The team scattered, each member moving quickly into deeper cover. Their hearts racing, the kids and their teacher flinched when the alarm cry went up. Iruka hissed at his students, dropping mini-traps – mostly smoke bombs, razor jacks and chakra-infused razor wire – in the enemy's path. The team raced away, trying vainly to outrun the ANBU pair who had stumbled onto them.

When one of the pair dropped suddenly into their path and moved to attack, the team reacted like the shinobi they were. Kiba called a quick attack, though his opponent stepped to the side at the last second. He grinned as the adult immediately jerked back, unable to move in time and being slammed into the wall of a nearby building. Kiba's charge had hidden Sasuke's presence behind him, and the Uchiha boy hit the older shinobi with all the force of a sledgehammer.

Iruka was right after them, kunai flashing as he came in from the man's side. The two boys gave one another a grin and a fast high-five.

Lee and Naruto fared just as well, each one bouncing off of a nearby object to slam into their opponent at almost the same instant. The ANBU jumped back, clearly disoriented from the double hit. Iruka just grinned as both boys whooped, and Hinata called a quiet warning. The girl threw a couple of smoke bombs, the team running away as the slightly disoriented ANBU paused to check on his partner.

The team carefully took darting, meandering paths until they were certain that they had lost any possible pursuit.

-

In an hour, Kakashi would close his eyes for an instant, silently grieving the loss of yet another comrade as Drake tried to understand how his teammate could have been defeated by what appeared to be a group of children. It almost seemed as if he had pulled his attack at the last moment, but of course, that was not possible.

Spider would not have done less than his best.

-

The next morning, a shopkeeper would find a bag of carved wooden trinkets and stone tools in place of a number of his goods.

-

And as they put away their acquisitions, safe in their home, Iruka could only chuckle. "You know" he told the team "when I was your age, grocery shopping used to be boring."


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N:** This chapter drove me nuts all day long. Do you have any idea how hard it is to try and pay attention in Lab when there are characters screaming in your head? I had to write this down just as soon as I got home. Anyway, thank you to my reviewers: **iNsAnE nO bAkA, ChibiAliChan, micah.n10, Ryu Earth, xdelta_ha-chanx **and **Rangerfan58.**

**Note:** One of the meanings of "Tetsu" is "iron" like the metal, at least according to my dictionary.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything Naruto related, unfortunately. Though I do have a pair of sais. Does that count?  
**

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:_ The little boy trembled, stifling his sobs with both small hands. The six year old's eyes were impossibly wide, the pitiful sight only enhanced by the black bangs framing his pale face. _

_Lee __**knew **__that those bad ninjas had hurt his parents, but mommy had told him to stay here, to stay quiet – "like a little mouse" mommy had said – and Lee was a good boy. So the good boy had stayed quiet, biting his hands until his shirt was stained with blood to keep from making noise when he heard his mommy screaming. _

_If he was good, mommy would come get him, right? _

_He didn't know how long he huddled in the closet, but at some point he heard noises outside. Lee scooted further back, freezing completely when the door was yanked open. Something he couldn't make out darted inside, and then the door was yanked closed. Lee hardly dared to breathe. _

_At some point longer than years but – apparently – shorter than forever, a voice called out softly. "Naruto-chan, Kiba-chan, it's okay, the bad guys are gone now. I'm opening the door, okay? Ramen." Lee blinked, his fear temporarily replaced by his confusion. 'Ramen?' he thought. _

_As the light seeped in through the open door, Lee could finally see what had been pushed into the closet with him. Two boys, just a little smaller than Lee, tumbled out, each boy wrinkling his nose. "Smells funny in there, Sensei! Smells sharp." the blond one whined. The darker haired child nodded in agreement. "Smells… sharp?" the new person questioned, looking into the closet. _

_The teen's eyes widened as he spotted the child huddled in the corner. Lee stared in fear – and then in wonder as he saw the headband and the long scar across the teen's nose. He knew this person! "Sensei!" Lee cried, reaching out with both bloody hands. _

_The teenager quickly scooped the child up in his arms, cuddling the little boy close as he made comforting noises. Both smaller children gaped, taken completely by surprise as Iruka pulled a strange boy from __**their**__ hiding place. "Lee-kun?" the ninja asked, clearly shocked. _

_The boy sniffled, burying his face in the older one's shirt. "Mommy" he sniffled. "Mommy an daddy… they were in there and… and I think… those bad ninjas __**hurted**__ them!" _

_Iruka's eyes went dark with sorrow as he remembered the two civilian corpses he had passed when he hid Naruto and Kiba. He gently rubbed the newly-orphaned boy on the back, looking down at 'his' boys. "Naruto-chan, Kiba-chan… Lee-chan needs someone to help him now, so he is coming with us, okay?" _

_Both five year olds, though they weren't quite sure what had happened, sensed that this was important. The pair both nodded seriously._:

-

Kakashi grit his teeth, fighting the urge to slam his fist into the desk. It was two o'clock in the morning, and he had been up all night reviewing his team's last patrol logs.

He had been over Drake's account a dozen times, had personally traveled to the site of the battle, and he could only come to one conclusion. Spider had _allowed_ himself to be killed. "_Damn_ it, Eisen!" he hissed, using Spider's given name in a rare display of temper. "What the hell were you up to?"

Going carefully over his underling's paperwork – a project begun two days ago in the wake of realizing that the younger man had been lying to him – he had found a number of inconsistencies. All tiny things, things that you would miss picking up on if you didn't know the agent the way his team had – or at least, _thought_ they had – but inconsistent nonetheless.

Most of the time the discrepancy was in the rounds log. Just the slightest bit more terse than usual, to an investigator it would seem that there had been nothing to report so the man had written less. But Kakashi knew how painstakingly thorough Spider had always been, so to him those slight differences – in hindsight – were obvious.

There was no other answer – Spider had been keeping secrets. He had found something, noticed some fact in those areas that he had kept to himself. There was something there that Kakashi's teammate had felt was so secret that he could not tell his squad, and so important that it was worth dying for.

And whatever it was, Kakashi was determined to find it.

-

The blond man strolled casually down the aisles of the store, picking up a few needed items here and there, careful to stay within his budget.

After Danzo had 'stabilized' Konoha, one of the things he had done was to force a number of the Jounin into 'retirement', taking their weapons and threatening to seal their chakra if they resisted. And in the wake of the horrific slaughter of the Inuzuka clan and many other mind-numbing losses, they had waited too long to pull themselves together.

The bottom line of all of this was – aside from the fact that Konoha's older shinobi found themselves being slowly replaced by Danzo's supporters – that there were now a large number of ex-shinobi suddenly forced into finding a civilian lifestyle. Including the reduced pay, and a lingering sense of failure and shame.

Yamanaka, Inoichi was thinking sadly about these things and more, when his eye was caught by something out of place. He stepped up to the display rack, running rough fingers gently over the small wooden toys and statues. "Where did you get these?" he asked, knowing that the shopkeeper was watching him.

But he glanced up when the large redhead hesitated, his voice unusually defensive. "They were bartered. One of my customers couldn't afford groceries, so I let the kid trade for them instead."

Inoichi's gaze sharpened, his instincts telling him that his old friend was hiding something. "Chouza, what-"

"Inoichi."

That one word shut him up, the blond finally realizing that his former teammate seemed uncomfortable talking about the matter. "Okay, Chou. …Is everything okay, with the family and all?"

The redhead brightened up, relieving a little of the concern in Inoichi's mind. "Yeah, it's great. Chouji graduates this spring, you know. He's real excited." The Akimichi ex-Jounin's cheer was contagious, quickly making Inoichi decide that it wasn't worth pushing his friend over a few small trinkets.

But he did buy a statue of a small rose, thinking that his daughter would probably like the delicate woodwork.

-

Iruka's hands carved fine details into the small wooden block, but his eyes showed that his mind was far away. In truth, the teacher was exhausted, but he had been unable to sleep. He had been rehashing the night's battle again and again in his mind, and he simply could not figure it out.

In the rush of battle he had not thought farther on the defeat of one of his enemies, but after the adrenaline wore off, it would not leave him be. He had thought out every angle he could imagine, and it still didn't make sense.

Two children should not have been able to hit an ANBU officer. The second one, he could understand. That one had probably been slightly distracted by the plight of the first. But that first opponent, the one Iruka himself had killed…

His mind's eye replayed again how quickly the enemy had caught up to them, how _fast_ the man had dropped in front of them, how smoothly he had moved. Iruka simply could not banish the thought _'we shouldn't have been able to win.'_

If he didn't know better, Iruka would have almost thought that the man had hesitated to attack them. But of course, that was ridiculous.

…wasn't it?

-

Sakura yawned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. She blinked twice, looking around in blurry confusion. And then she gasped, her eyes snapping wide with shock and fear. "Oh my God!" she whispered. "I fell asleep. I fell asleep in the park – and the sun's down already!"

The pink haired pre-teen scrambled up, leaving her book behind as she raced away, praying desperately that it wasn't past curfew yet. Her green eyes darted up to the Hokage tower, and a small, strangled cry escaped her. Nine o'clock! She was in _so _much trouble!

Sakura tripped as she ran around a corner, knocking over a trio of trash cans on accident. She jumped up again, ready to run – but a hand wrapped itself around her arm, jerking her into the shadows of a nearby ally as another hand was clasped over her mouth. "Shh!" a voice hissed in her ear. "Don't move!"

Sakura froze, trembling in the grip of her unknown captor. And then she saw movement out on the streets. Two dark forms stepped into view, one of whom began to move towards the ally. _'Calm down, it's okay.'_ Sakura silently told herself._ 'You're strong, you're brave. Don't panic!' _

Sakura and her captor both held their breath as the man stopped in front of their ally. And then turned away. "There are trash cans overturned here." The man said. "It was probably just cats."

The second form, smaller than the first, spoke in a curiously flat tone. "This is not a proper investigation. Should we not search more thoroughly?"

The man shrugged. "You can if you want to, Sai, but I'm going back. Don't forget, we have to report to Danzo-sama promptly at ten after nine. Do you want to explain why we are late?"

A brief pause. "No."

After the two had gone, Sakura pulled away from her captor, shifting back into a rough imitation of a fighting stance that she had learned as a child. Her hands up, she glared – at another girl. The brunette, probably a year or so older, had dark clothing on, a pack on her back and her hair caught up in two buns above her ears.

She also wore weapons on her hip and a mask over the lower half of her face.

But the girl held up her hands, palms out in a universal gesture of harmlessness. "It's okay" she said. "If I wanted you hurt, I would have let those two find you. I'm just… going to go now, okay?"

The strange girl turned away, and before she could think about it Sakura blurted out "Wait!"

The masked girl paused, and Sakura spoke hurridly. "You… you're one of those rebels people have been whispering about, aren't you? I… Let me come!"

The other girl blinked. "Um, what?" Sakura shook her head, her voice nearly pleading. "Let me come, let me help you. I know I'm not a ninja, but I learned some of the basic drills when I was little. I've been practicing, and… and I just can't do nothing. I've been trying to figure out how to help people, wishing that I could do something _more_ than just being one of the Hokage's drones for the rest of my life. Please, please don't tell me to go back, don't tell me to serve that monster!"

By this point Sakura had tears in her eyes, all of her fear forgotten in the face of this one opportunity to reach for her dreams. Somehow, the twelve year old _knew_ that if she messed this up, she would never have another chance.

The other girl hesitated, looking into Sakura's eyes for a long moment. And then she sighed, her voice rueful when she spoke. "I'm such a sucker. Alright, I'll talk to my people. For now, go home. I'll contact you if I can."

Sakura nodded eagerly. "Thank you! You won't regret this, I promise! I'll work really hard… um…"

"Tetsu" the rebel supplied. "And I hope you're right."

-

As the sun came up, Kakashi looked into the eyes of his team. "I need all of you to do something for me. It could get us all in trouble, but… I need to do this." His team glanced at one another, but no one voiced any complaints, so he continued.

"As I'm sure you've all realized by now, Spider was not defeated. He _allowed_ himself to be beaten. And I want to know why. With our duties as ANBU, I don't have time to investigate his last few days properly, so-"

"So we will cover for your absence." Kakashi smiled at the interruption, nodding in thanks. Boar dipped his own head briefly to the younger man in acknowledgement.

"I'll try and make up the paperwork when I can, if you'll just leave it-"

"Don't worry about it, captain" the youngest in the squad interrupted, the tone in his voice leaving no doubt that Drake was grinning beneath his mask. "It's not like we haven't forged your signature before, right guys?"

"_Drake!_" Hare hissed. Even Boar whipped his head around to glare.

Kakashi just raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching slightly. "I see… Well, thank you all. I'll let you know what I find."

And so, the ANBU squad split up without another word.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:** And you find out who Shiro is in this chapter. Kudos to the reviewer who guessed it, especially since it's kind of a stretch. Anyway, thank you again to the reviewers: **Chibi, iNsAnE nO bAkA, WhyMustIWrite, Ryu Earth, jazzy2may, Julieanna333, cjandre **and **ChibiAliChan.** Hope you all enjoy this one.

**Note:** Code names - Shiro means white, Kuro means black. Tetsu means iron, Akai means red. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Shinkirou means mirage.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of Naruto.  
**

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**: _She snuck quietly down the halls, slipping almost silently into the apparently empty room and closing the door behind her. She stepped over to the toy chest in the corner, gently easing open the lid. _

_The little girl hesitated, a confused frown crossing her lips as she realized that the child she had left inside of it was still in the same position she had left him in. The child's eyes were closed, and did not open when she shook him gently. _

_Cold fear settled into the girl, her memory racing to recall exactly where and how hard she had hit the child. He was breathing easily, but… _

"_He's under a genjutsu." _

_The girl whirled around as a voice spoke from the shadows in the opposite corner. _

"_He thinks he is in this room, playing with his toys." _

_She stuttered, her hands dropping to where her weapons pouch had been before ROOT's operatives took it from her. "Wh, what. Why… Who are you?!" _

_The strange voice's owner stepped into sight, and the girl was startled to realize that it was only a boy. His face was masked, but judging from his height he was likely not much older than she was. "…You may call me Akai. And I placed the boy under my jutsu because he was starting to wake up, and I didn't want him to make noise and be found. They would kill you both if they found out you had hidden him." _

_She was starting to relax, as the boy made no threatening motions. "So… now what?" _

_There was a long moment of silence, and then the boy spoke again. "You have two choices. Either you can take your chances with ROOT's mercy" – she rolled her eyes – "or… you can get him out from under the new Hokage." _

_She gasped, staring at the boy. "What do you mean? There isn't anywhere to go, no one is allowed to leave." _

_The boy waited, clearly debating his next words. "There is… someone I know. Someone who is in hiding, keeping some endangered children safe. This person… is good with children. This person is waiting for the day when it is safe to take the children out of the city. It's too late for the two of us – they know we're alive. But if you want, I can bring the child to this ally." _

_She thought carefully, eyes straying to the dreaming child. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly. And then she looked straight at 'Akai'. "Alright. Get him out of here." _

_The boy nodded, reaching over to a side table and picking up a crayon and paper. She blinked in confusion when he held it out to her. "Here." he clarified. "Write to him. Explain. And tell me some of his favorite things. He'll be confused and frightened when I wake him at Sanctuary, so it will help to have some things from home." _

_That made sense, so the girl agreed quietly. As she finished the letter, a memory flashed through her mind. "Oh!" she gasped. "Wait here!" _

_She ran lightly down the corridor, mindful of the approaching dawn. She stopped in a large, open room lined with what appeared to be stalls of some sort, and stepped over one of the closed mesh gates. _

_She knelt in the wood shavings, deliberately ignoring the stench of blood and the bodies that had not yet been removed. The little girl held reached out, carefully picking up the small bundle she had noticed on her way out earlier, but had not dared to retrieve at the time. _

_Returning to the play room, she saw Akai put the last item – a throw blanket that the child loved to sleep under – in a backpack. The girl held out her hands, and the boy took the small, shivering puppy gently. "Take him too. His name is Akamaru" she informed the strange boy. "He's the runt of the litter, not even weaned yet, but they missed him. He's… the only Inuzuka dog left." She swallowed hard, willing away the memory of having seen her own three puppies brutally slaughtered. _

_She looked one last time, carefully studying the small, sleeping face of the child. "Will I ever see him again?" she nearly whispered, not really expecting an answer. _

"_Unless Konoha somehow becomes safe again, then probably not" the boy responded. "But… I can arrange to keep the two of you in contact. Letters, mostly. …You'll need a code name, something he can call you that won't give away who you are if I drop the letters or get caught." _

_The girl stared as her mind cast wildly about, completely blanking. And then her eyes caught on Akamaru's white fur. "Shiro" she decided. "If you're Akai, then I can be Shiro." _

_Akai nodded once, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and tucking both the letter and the puppy into the side compartment. "Alright, Shiro it is." he stated as he picked up the sleeping child. "I will contact you when I can." _

_And with tears gathering in her eyes, Hana watched long after her baby brother vanished into the fading night. _:

-

Inoichi smiled gently as he walked in his front door, the first sight meeting his eyes being his twelve year old daughter bent seriously over her books. Without even looking up, Ino called out "Welcome home, dad."

"Hey," he responded. "Come see for a second, princess. I've got something for you."

When the blonde girl stood in front of him, he had her hold out her hand and close her eyes. He couldn't help but laugh a little at the fond exasperation in her expression as she did as she was told, waiting until he dropped something in her palm and told her that she could look.

She looked down at the little carving in her hand, and then snapped her gaze back to her father's face, her blue eyes going wide with surprise and confusion. "Dad, what…?"

Inoichi laughed again, a little more sadly this time. "What, princess? Can't a man buy his best girl a present every now and then?"

Ino blinked, and then a wide smile lit up her face. The girl flung her arms around her dad, hugging him tightly and thanking him enthusiastically for the pretty trinket. His smile saddened again as she returned to her studies, smiling softly and tucking the gift into her pocket.

Inoichi loved his little girl, but if he had known the hell that Konoha was going to become… he would have sent her far away when had had still had the chance.

-

A man and a boy sat side by side, dark heads bent over a wide scroll. The boy spoke quietly. "I think that this is your best route. It should help you avoid crowded areas, but not be so out of the way that it catches attention. And of course Shiro is going to be waiting for you, so that should decrease your time out in the open. What do you think?"

Iruka ruffled the boy's hair, chuckling when he squeaked in protest. "I think that I trust your judgment. You're a smart kid, and you're more familiar with how normal life in this village works. If you say that the traffic will be most useful on that path, then that's the path I'll take."

Kuro flushed slightly at the praise, a proud smile briefly overtaking his features. "Well, it's not quite normal for us to assign someone to one of our outside agents. But according to Tetsu, Sakura has worked really hard, and Shiro is the one who could most easily work with her without raising suspicion."

Iruka nodded his agreement. "Yes, in the last couple of weeks, she has come a long way. She doesn't have a great deal of chakra, but she has an almost instinctively fine control of what she does have. And she really does want to make a difference. I think she'll do well."

-

The boy hesitated, the slightest of frowns crossing his features as he considered the orders he had just been given.

"What is it Sai? You may ask."

The boy glanced up at his Hokage, immediately dropping his eyes to the floor again when he spoke. "I simply… do not understand, Danzo-sama." A slightly impatient gesture warned him to elucidate quickly or leave.

"Danzo-sama, I do not mean to question your wisdom, but… why do we not route out the rebels? Launch a large scale investigation and force them out. Why all of this secrecy, when you already have control of Konoha?" The older man paused, looking once more out the window of the Hokage tower. Sai was certain that he would be dismissed, but his leader surprised him.

"This will be difficult for you to understand, as you were too young to remember seeing it yourself. But Konoha's will is strong, her people fierce when roused. When I first took power, Konoha was confused, hurting. The fire in its people was low, and this is why I was able to do much of what I did."

The Hokage pinned the young ROOT operative with a hard look. "Make no mistake, Sai – that fire, for all that I have attempted to crush it in the older generation, is not dead. It merely smolders, forgotten in the people's hearts. These rebels have the potential – whether they realize it or not – to awaken that fire, to call forth the strength hidden inside of Konoha. I must move carefully, ever aware of the ramifications of my actions. I must walk a fine line between keeping that fire pushed down enough to overrun it, and pushing hard enough to make it flare."

The man nodded at the boy's wide eyed gaze. "The younger generation is the one that I am concerned with strengthening, the older ones are too stubborn in their beliefs and must be broken down before I can rebuild the people as strong as they should be. However, as it stands at this time, if that fire were to be rekindled in the people, then ROOT would lose. That is why we must find and crush these rebels quietly, without the people's knowledge. It is bad enough that there are rumors of a secret resistance – if those rumors were discovered to be true, then Konoha would turn and destroy us."

The boy stood for a long second, each male gazing at the other. One in calm certainty, one in shock and awe. Then Sai bowed low. "I understand, Hokage-sama."

But before Danzo could speak again, a tentative knock sounded on the office doors. The ROOT operative stationed to preside over the Archive workers stepped into the room when his leader called permission. The man bowed respectfully, and the looked at his leader with a solemn expression. "Hokage-sama, there is something that I believe you need to be aware of…"


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I will warn you now - this ends in a cliffy. I'm working on the next chapter, it should be up by morning. Anyway, as always, thank you to my reviewers: **ChibiAliChan, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Ryu Earth, jazzy2may **and **cjandre**. The stories may keep me writing, but you all keep me posting.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Naruto, it would be called 'Iruka'. Since it isn't, then obviously I don't own it.

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:_ Iruka worked quickly, his trembling hands fumbling slightly as he twisted knobs and connected pipes. He stopped every now and then, referring back to a scroll placed carefully out of the way of any possible splashes. _

_He still had not found an opportunity to get his kids out of Konoha, and it was getting dangerous on the streets. Iruka could see Konoha turning dangerous around him, and it frightened him to think of his vulnerable children being left alone in the kind of place that his beloved village was becoming. _

_But if it was going to take a while to get out, then he needed to turn his temporary hiding place into a more permanent shelter. And that meant he needed to get water running to it. _

_He was slowly working on lining some of the passages of the old tunnels with copper, which Akai had said the Hyuuga clan's Byakugon was unable to see through – though how the younger shinobi knew that was beyond Iruka – in order to turn the old passages into a home, a sanctuary of sorts. Until they could get out. He couldn't forget that ultimate goal. He had accepted responsibility for the protection of children, and he couldn't fail them – no matter how much it broke his heart to see his people breaking around him. _

_Finally he finished. He knew that water was now being diverted – a little at a time – into some of the old underground cisterns, the ones that weren't really used anymore. Iruka himself, with his boys' help, had rigged a subtle rain collection system over one of them. For now, it would serve as bath water, though Iruka figured that, if he had to stay for the long term, he could catch and release fish into it and make it a food source. For now, though, he had done all he could. _

_Besides, the kids were probably awake by now, and it really wasn't a good idea to leave four little ones alone for too long. _:

-

"What are you doing here, Hatake-san?" The cool, smooth voice instantly made Kakashi fight not to snarl at the teenage ANBU captain.

Instead, he forced his voice to remain cool. "I am simply familiarizing myself with some of the people here, Uchiha-san."

When Kakashi turned around, he found himself face to face with none other than Uchiha, Itachi. Known behind his back as 'the Little Traitor Bastard'. In Kakashi's opinion, thirteen was _way_ too young for this boy to have been made ANBU at all, much less a captain.

The now-eighteen year old brat had apparently never learned the concept of loyalty. Unless it was loyalty to whoever held the most power at the time – Kakashi could imagine the Uchiha teaching their precious prodigy _that_. But the boy certainly never learned to care. About anyone. The young man was as cold as an icicle, never hesitating to carry out the Hokage's orders, no matter what they were, and as such was favored by ROOT.

Looking into those dark eyes now, Kakashi could see no trace of humanity, only the flat gaze of a predator. "I was considering looking around the northern district, where the Inuzuka used to live. And perhaps stop by Hasa Avenue for lunch."

"There is nothing but ruins in the old Inuzuka compound, Hatake-san."

Kakashi fought the urge to twitch at the condescension in the boy's tone. "I know that, Uchiha-san" – and oh, how it galled him to call this arrogant brat 'san' – "but I found a report of a noise complaint in one of my deceased squad mate's paperwork that was not completely documented. I seek to see the terrain for myself."

"…I see." And with those last words, Itachi casually walked away, leaving Kakashi fuming behind him.

-

Sakura gulped, closely following the kind-eyed, scar-faced man introduced only as "Sensei". Sakura hesitated to tell him that she remembered his face. Somehow, 'I've seen you in my dreams for years' just didn't seem to be an appropriate thing to say to the man who had been teaching her for the last few weeks.

But really, she was concerned about this new teacher he was pairing her with. Sensei had said that she had a natural talent for chakra control, and that she would likely do well in either genjutsu or medical jutsu, if she wanted to specialize. Sakura had not hesitated to ask for the medical path.

She knew that it would take her a while to catch up to the others, no matter how hard she worked. But if she could become even a little skilled with medical jutsu… Sensei said that was a difficult thing to learn, and that most shinobi couldn't use it well. So if she could pick up even one or two simple jutsu in that specialty, then she would have a skill that would be useful to Sensei, and the others in the as-yet-unseen Sanctuary.

Sakura wasn't sure if she was excited or terrified. And then… she was confused. "Um, Sensei… this is a veterinarian's office."

The man only smiled. "I know."

As the pair entered the office, a dark-haired woman in a white coat glanced over at them once. And then she quickly looked again, her eyes settling on Sensei. By the time Sakura finished blinking, the pair had been pulled into a back exam room, the door locked, and the woman was quietly snarling in Sensei's face. "What the _hell_ are you doing here Iruka?"

To his credit, the man – _'Iruka, huh?'_ – only looked a little nervous. "Um, hello Hana. I told you I was bringing Sakura-chan here, remember?"

The woman looked over at Sakura, her voice suddenly polite. "Nice to meet you, Sakura-chan. My name is Inuzuka, Hana."

And then she was snarling at Iruka again. "You said she would be escorted. I didn't think you were stupid enough to bring her yourself! I thought one of the other kids would bring her. Damn it, you _know_ they'd be lost if something happened to you!"

Something Sakura couldn't identify flashed in Iruka's eyes then, and his voice turned icy. "I am aware of my responsibilities, Hana_-chan_. You don't need to remind me of them."

The man pushed away from the woman, pausing just long enough to give Sakura a small smile. "She's mostly bark, but I think you'll do well. I'll be in touch, Sakura-chan." And then he was gone.

The two females stood quietly for a moment, and finally Sakura dared to try and break the tension in the air. "So, um… You're a vet, Hana-san?"

The older woman sighed, and abruptly relaxed, smiling ruefully. "Yes, but you can learn more here than you think. The medical jutsu are basically the same, it's just the anatomy you are repairing that is different. No one will think anything about me teaching you herbalism or field aid, because you're going to be listed as a vet tech. I can teach you the jutsu part when we close for the night, and help you with your taijutsu. Now, I'm technically closed for lunch right now, so tell me everything you've learned so far. People, techniques, theories, everything."

Two long hours later, Sakura began to follow Shiro's rather strict training schedule. Exercise in the morning, her school in the day, learning medicines in the evening and then jutsu at night. She would barely have time to sleep, much less anything else.

Sakura couldn't have been happier.

-

Kakashi stretched lightly, knowing that today was another investigation day, and therefore didn't need the rigorous physical warm-up necessary for ANBU work days.

For the last three weeks, he had alternated between working with his squad and investigating Spider's recent history. He had found nothing concrete, only small hints and clues. But those small things were starting to add up, and he thought he might have an idea where to look next.

Spider had investigated a noise complaint near a mostly abandoned section of the outer edges of the city, but the report had been short and simple. Nothing there, basically. And now, anything that Spider _didn't_ report on was what Kakashi was interested in. Especially since when Kakashi pulled out his father's old maps, it showed a pair of underground water cisterns – which weren't in Spider's report.

Just as he pulled on the last of his not-expecting-combat gear, he heard a faint tap on his bedroom window. His lips twisted in a half grin – his squad was as impatient as he was to know what their former teammate had been hiding – as he saw Hare crouched on his windowsill.

He opened the window to let her in – and went cold as he saw that she was in full battle gear. His practiced eye quickly took in the hesitation, the secrecy in her posture, and he suddenly _knew_ why she was there.

"They're coming for me, aren't they?" His voice was calm, level. Wouldn't do to further upset his already pained subordinate.

"Yes, Captain. They said you had been stealing classified information." The only thing he could think of was the records of the missing children, and the investigation that was – or _wasn't_ – carried out. "You have five."

And the woman was gone. Kakashi was instantly out the window. _'One'_ he thought as he pushed off of the wall. _'Two'_ as he raced down the alley. _'Three'_ was when he rounded the corner. _'Four'_ as he slid under a break in the alley wall. And at _'five'_, he heard the faint sounds of his apartment door being broken down. With _'six'_ he teleported to the first place that crossed his mind – the old underground cisterns.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N:** *grins smugly* And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... Kind of. Thanks go out again to the reviewers: **Ryu Earth, Rangerfan58 **and **micah.n10**.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Naruto, you'd be seeing this on TV or the manga, not reading it here.

* * *

: _He had watched the teenager for a while, following him from a distance, observing the way the older teen had taken the Kyuubi child under his protection. The older boy had hidden the child, keeping carefully out of sight as Konoha roiled in confusion. _

_Danzo had taken power, and the scarred teenager had stolen the Kyuubi boy away from the rather lax care of his guardians. The teen was apparently waiting to for the situation to settle down before they left. The watcher himself was one of the few who knew that that was not going to happen. _

_But he could not put it off any longer. He returned to his house, deliberately making his way into a room down the hall from his own. He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching the child inside the room as the toddler slept. _

_He stepped into the room, shaking the child awake and shushing him quietly. He scooped the child up, taking a moment to savor the feel of his little brother in his arms. He looked into the little one's face, carefully memorizing the small features, the trust and love shining in those dark eyes. _

_And then he teleported them both, appearing in front of the other. He ignored the older boy's exclamation of surprise, simply handing the toddler over. _

_Umino looked at him in confusion, but he refused to look at the pair as he spoke. "It won't get better. It is only going to get worse – Danzo-san is __**not**__ what he seems. …Take care of him, Umino. I don't want him caught up in this." _

_He couldn't look, couldn't bear to see the confusion and fear he knew would be growing in his brother's eyes. Instead, he spoke to the child one last time. "Listen to him, Sasuke. Stay safe and grow strong, and someday, it will be safe for you to come home." _

_And with those last words, Itachi walked away from the only person he truly loved without so much as a backwards glance. :_

-

Kakashi stumbled slightly as he appeared in the darkness of the cavern, the adrenaline rush from his flight making him hypersensitive. He stilled instantly, every sense alert.

After long moments, he finally allowed himself to relax as it appeared that he had managed to get far enough away to avoid being tracked when he teleported. He heaved a quiet sigh, straightening out of his defensive crouch as he calmed himself in order to gather his thoughts enough to work out a plan.

He had left in a hurry, with no rations and only minimal weapons or medical supplies. That wasn't a good thing. If he was going to get out of Konoha – and he would have to, now – then he needed to re-supply.

He quickly reviewed a mental list of former shinobi who might be both able and willing to turn a blind eye to his now-wanted status, discarding those that he was known to be friendly with. He had stayed in ANBU to try and protect his people, so it would be against his principles to do something that he knew would get them hurt now.

'_Well,'_ he thought, _'at least no one knew I was aware of this place, so that should buy me some time. I might as well look around – this might just be a good place to wait until the search dies down a little.'_ Kakashi carefully looked around the old cistern room, searching for entrances and, more importantly, traces that anyone had been there recently.

Once he failed to find anything significant, he settled back into a corner of the room to review his options. But he couldn't shake the mild feeling that he was missing something – something important. Though he couldn't think of anything to cause immediate alarm, he stayed on high alert – after all, a man's intuition was usually his body's way of trying to call attention to something his conscious mind had dismissed.

Thinking carefully on every move he had made, he worked his way back to the very beginning. There was no way that anyone should know he was here. He himself only knew about this place because… _'Because Spider had come here.' _Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm. _'There were no traces of Spider having been in this room, and I should have found at least one. The kid was good, but not good enough that I couldn't track him. And that means… __**Shit!**__ Genjutsu!' _

Kakashi was on his feet, weapons drawn the instant he realized that something was wrong. At that last thought, he reached up to quickly tug down his mask so that the Sharingan would break the illusion. But… it didn't work. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he attempted to break the illusion by more typical means. It still didn't work, not that he had really expected it to.

And then a deep voice seemed to resonate from every corner of the room. "Your Sharingan eye will not save you from this trap. I will ask you this one time – why are you here, Hatake Kakashi?" A half-heartbeat of confusion, and then he abruptly remembered his suspicions of Spider allowing the presence of thieves – or something – in their city.

His mind dropping into the calm, cool ferocity of an ANBU captain, Kakashi decided that he could safely answer that question. If the voice's owner was from ROOT, then they already knew the answer. And if it was some kind of outlaw, then it may be more accepting of a fellow 'traitor'.

"I sought a hiding place from ROOT's forces." A pause, and as brave as he was, Kakashi could still feel a small trickle of sweat run down his spine. He did _not_ like being unable to break free of this genjutsu. It put him at a massive disadvantage.

The voice spoke again, mild curiosity lacing its tone. "You served ROOT not very long ago. Why do you run from them now?"

Those words stiffened Kakashi's spine with anger, upsetting him enough that he snapped his response without thought. "I have _never_ served ROOT! My loyalty is to the people of Konoha, but if bowing to those assholes is the best way to protect them then I'll damn well bow!"

Another long pause, during which Kakashi glared angrily into the dark cavern, and then the voice sounded again, thoughtfully this time. "…I see. Wait here, Hatake-san."

He didn't like it – no, it was probably safe to say that he hated it – but without any knowledge of the room's actual layout or the positioning of any traps or other people, Kakashi was forced to do exactly that.

Wait.

-

Lee raced down the tunnels, pushing chakra into his legs to increase his speed. Sasuke had recognized the distinctive silver hair of the ANBU captain from Itachi's descriptions, and since Sasuke's brother had said that he believed Hatake to be a good man despite his occupation, the two boys had both agreed to speak to the man before they activated the lethal traps in the room.

The man's words… were something that Iruka-sensei needed to hear.

He darted into the common room, startling some of the others in spite of his whistled signal, and went straight to the man jumping to his feet in alarm. "Lee, what's wrong?!"

The thirteen year old took a quick breath, and then began speaking. "Sensei, there's a man in the cistern room. Hatake, Kakashi, from what Itachi-san said. But he says that he never served ROOT, that he serves Konoha, like us. You've spoken with the outside ones more than I have, so we wanted to get your opinion before Sasuke-kun and I killed him. What do you want us to do, Sensei?"

-

After a very long time – nearly fifteen minutes, an eternity by shinobi standards – the voice spoke again. "I am entering this genjutsu, Hatake. Do _not_ attack me. There is a matter we should discuss. Agreed?" Hesitantly, suspiciously, Kakashi nodded.

A heartbeat, a shimmer in the air and… Kakashi blinked, surprised to see a young boy standing halfway across the room. Or at least, the likeness of one. He was even more surprised to see the distinctive red eyes of the Sharingan in the boy's pale face.

The two stared at one another for a long moment, and the Uchiha look-alike was the first to speak. "You said that you didn't serve ROOT, that you served Konoha. Did you mean it?"

Kakashi blinked again, still on guard but taken aback by the odd question. "Yes."

The boy glanced over to his side briefly, the quick gesture letting Kakashi know that there was at least one other person in the room with them. "What do you think of the cullings in the clans?"

Kakashi nearly spit his answer to that one. "I think our 'Hokage' should be strung up by his… I think it's wrong."

He might have been mistaken, but Kakashi thought he saw a twitch at the corners of the boy's lips at the answer. "Are you aware, Hatake-san, that for the last two years, a number of children likely to be either culled or recruited into ROOT have vanished from their homes?"

"Yes, I…" Kakashi's eyes widened again in shock as he suddenly realized where this conversation was going. "No." he whispered. "Not possible."

There was no doubt this time, that was definitely a small smirk on the boy's lips. "Very possible, actually. I'm not dropping the genjutsu yet – I can't, actually, it's anchored in the room itself by someone much stronger than me – but I'd like you to come with me. There's someone you should meet."

Hesitantly agreeing, Kakashi followed the boy through what appeared to be a labyrinth of ever-changing corridors. Finally they stopped, the boy turning back to look at the man. "We're here" he stated.

"I'm going to drop the genjutsu now, Hatake-san, so be ready."


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N:** *grins* And Kakashi meets Iruka. Things start to get fun from here on out. So thanks again to those who were fast enough to read and review the last chapter before I posted this one: **iNsAnE nO bAkA** and** micah.n10**. Everyone else... too slow, sorry!

**Notes:** Again, code names: Shiro (Hana Inuzuka) means white. Aoi (Neji Hyuuga) means blue. Kin means golden, Kuro means black. Chairo means brown. Akai means red (though I've probably given away who he is). Um, I think that's all of them.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, then I wouldn't have to stop writing long enough to go to work, now would I?

* * *

He blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the brighter light as the genjutsu wore off. His ears cleared long before his sight, bringing him the sounds of fire crackling, the rustle of fabric and paper, and the low whispers of the people in the room.

When his eyes finally focused again, the first thing he did was sweep the room visually. He blinked again – in surprise this time – when he realized that all of the individuals in the 'room' were actually children, with the occasional teenager scattered in the crowd.

Those children were still, with wariness in their body language that the shinobi in him approved of. The two boys beside him slipped away, stepping back to stand with the other children watching him so carefully.

Then Kakashi's attention was drawn away when another stood. He realized with a small measure of relief that this was another adult, a man probably a few years younger than Kakashi himself.

The ANBU captain ran a practiced eye over the man, noting the balance and readiness of his stance, the weapons stashed carefully on his person, the scar across his nose and…

Kakashi's eyes widened, his hand flashing out towards the other man.

-

Kin fidgeted slightly, her eyes glancing over her age-mates nervously. She knew she was a strong kunoichi, but… they had combined classes for the Academy graduation exam. According to her parents, there had been a time when shinobi and kunoichi had all trained together, learning the same things. But that had been a long time ago.

Kin just wasn't sure how well she would do when compared to the males. It wasn't exactly a fair competition, particularly the sparring matches, since the boys were taught far more combat-oriented lessons.

Not that Kin thought that she couldn't keep up – just the opposite. Since she had been doing extra training with Sensei and the others, she had learned techniques that weren't taught to girls anymore, and even a few that her own family would not have been able to show her. The low, balanced stance of Hinata-chan's Jyuuken, for example.

No, what Kin was worried about was performing _too well_. The last thing she needed was for someone to sit up and notice her.

She swallowed hard, only a little comforted when Kuro casually walked past and brushed his hand against hers. Kin took another deep breath, briefly meeting Chairo's eyes across the clearing. Her friends believed in her, her comrades counted on her. She could do this. She _would_ do this.

When her name was called, Kin stood before the judges with her chin held up.

-

All across Konoha, ANBU had been fully deployed. One ROOT operative had been stationed with each squad to make absolutely certain that Hatake did not 'accidentally' get away.

Kei watched the squad he had been assigned to with a critical eye as they combed the streets below his rooftop perch, just waiting for the slightest hesitation, the tiniest indication that one of them may have found something.

Because they were all of the old generation of Konoha shinobi, and Danzo-sama said that, while necessary – for now – the old generation could not be trusted. But while his squad reformed, Kei watched the Shinobi Academy as a girl stepped away from the judges and a boy took her place. After a few moments, his eyes narrowed, and he held up one hand in the classic 'wait' signal.

Another moment and he was certain. _'That child'_ he thought suspiciously _'is not performing at full capacity. I will have to inquire if the child is ill in some manner. If not, the boy's behavior may require further investigation.'_

-

Kakashi snatched at the other, only peripherally noticing the man's gasp, or even the fact that every youth in the room had jumped to their feet and only the man's quick words had kept Kakashi from being attacked from all sides.

He was too busy staring at the object in his hands. His eyes flicked up when the other man spoke, startled to see not only a small smile on the other's lips, but sadness and understanding in those brown eyes. "It's been a while since you've seen one of those, hasn't it, Hatake-san?"

Kakashi only nodded, an odd choked feeling preventing him from speaking.

One of the first changes that Danzo had made was to alter the symbol of Konoha. He had said that the new flame symbol represented the 'Will of Fire' that the Sandaime had spoken of, and, believing him, most shinobi had turned in their old hitai-ate without hesitation. It was only later that they realized that a number of those first 'traitors' were shinobi who had kept their original headband.

The original image had been found only in the possession of those who had attempted to rebel against Danzo, and had been quickly destroyed by ROOT.

It had been almost six years since Kakashi had seen the Leaf symbol, and he had very nearly given up on ever seeing it again. So to find it here, on the old, battered hitai-ate of this ghost rebel…

A hand laid itself gently on his arm. "We'll have to get you one. But for now, I'd like mine back." Kakashi nodded again, handing over the worn piece of metal and cloth as if it were something fragile and unspeakably precious.

The Copy Ninja looked around the room again, finally realizing what his mind had blanked out the first time. Every youth in the room wore the old Leaf symbol. The older, armed children wore it on their hitai-ate, but even the very little ones wore it on the back of a shirt or an armband.

Gazing into the eyes of the children, seeing the fire and determination shining there, Kakashi felt a hope he had believed was dead stir to life inside of him.

He had been wrong; there _were_ still true Konoha shinobi in existence.

He was looking at them.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Um, yeah. Not really much I can say here. Thank you to the two people who had time to review the last chapter before I finished this one: **Rangerfan58 **and **Swiss Army Knife.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own.

* * *

Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat, dimly proud of how level his voice was when he addressed the stranger. "Your boys already knew my name – Hatake, Kakashi. Jounin, Ex-ANBU captain, now missing-nin. However, I don't know anything about you …"

To his surprise, the younger man bowed. "Umino, Iruka. Former prankster, presumed dead during the war. Currently the leader of a small underground resistance. Pleased to meet you, Hatake-san. Do you mind if we take this somewhere a little… less public?"

Kakashi glanced around the room, noting the obvious curiosity in the children's eyes. "Okay, sounds good."

-

Kuro woke suddenly as the door of his room opened quietly. The boy sat up in bed, glancing up to see his father close the door behind himself with an expression of worry.

Before he could ask, his father spoke, the man's voice low and urgent. "They're coming for you, son. They've realized that you're capable of more than you've been doing, and they decided that it means that you are a traitor to Konoha." A quick, deep breath and his father continued. "I'll do what I can to buy you time, but you have to try and get out of Konoha. You-"

"Dad, wait." Kuro's voice was a little shaky, but utterly certain. "I know somewhere I can go. There are people out there – the rebels are real. I can go to them. Don't… don't do anything stupid, okay? We're going to fix Konoha, so… wait for us, okay?"

The man stared for a heartbeat, taken aback by the boy's words. "I… knew there was _something_ you weren't telling, but… Alright, I'll wait. Just, don't get caught. Okay, son?"

Kuro nodded. "Deal." A small noise made his father turn towards the door, and when the man turned back he only caught a glimpse of the boy's back as he went out of the window.

Taking a small pack he had kept under his bed just in case, Nara Shikamaru vanished into the night.

-

The next day, a blonde girl stood waiting in line at the school cafeteria. The overweight boy who was grilling her hamburger tried yet again to strike up a conversation. "Um… you know, I heard that they routed out a traitor last night."

Ino didn't bother to glance up, instead casually inspecting the polish on her nails. "Is that so?"

The boy nodded, eyes fixed on the food. "Yeah, they say he was in our age range, too. Um, his name was… Shira, Shinta… Shika! Shika-something, I think. He got away though."

Blue eyes glanced up, briefly meeting brown. Ino shrugged, glancing down again. "I hadn't heard that" she mused. This was truth. "Well, I hope they catch him soon." This was lie.

The food finished cooking, and the pair parted ways, each knowing what the other didn't say.

-

Kakashi ducked his head, fighting not to laugh. "So let me get this straight – you went underground to see what the Godaime's policy regarding Uzumaki would be before you let the kid stay out there, and then you kept collecting brats. And _then_, you let a bunch of _seven-year-olds_ talk you into fighting back?"

The tanned shinobi blushed. "Um, well… kind of."

He couldn't help it – Kakashi snickered. He wasn't sure why he felt so comfortable with an armed man he didn't know, but something about Umino just seemed so... honest. The man's eyes reminded him of his dogs, warm and open. Though he doubted that the younger man would appreciate being compared to Kakashi's pack. Still…

"So, how can I help, Umino-san?" He fought the urge to roll his eyes when the teacher blinked at him in confusion. "You know, with the saving the people? With the fighting? The rebellion stuff?"

Iruka shook his head. "I hate to tell you, Hatake-san, but this isn't a rebellion, it's a resistance."

Kakashi tilted his head. "And the difference is?"

"A resistance is more… passive. We do what we can, but we don't take big risks. A rebellion fights more, goes directly against the enemy rather than behind their backs. And…" Iruka trailed off, a little unnerved by the sudden steel in the older man's eyes.

"And why" Kakashi asked, his voice soft "are you? A resistance? You are in a unique position to benefit all of Konoha – a city you claim to love – and yet you do less than you could? Why?"

The copy ninja noticed – with a touch of surprise – that the other man straitened up at his words, an odd look flashing into those brown eyes. "Hatake-san, if I could save Konoha, I would do it in an instant. However… I have done my best to teach these children. They know most of the basic jutsu, but basics will not be enough to go against ROOT. Their taijutsu is fairly decent, but seeing as I taught them, I'm not necessarily a good judge. Also, there are a few students who have… special inclinations that I can't teach at all."

Okay, Kakashi was officially interested. "Such as?"

"Well, you met Sasuke-kun and Lee-kun earlier, right? Lee-kun has practically no chakra ability. I've taught what I can, but at this point all I can do is have them gang up on each other. Hinata-chan-"

"Wait" he interrupted. "_Hyuuga_ Hinata? As in, the deceased heir of the Hyuuga clan? _She's_ one of your kids?"

Iruka smiled. "Her and her younger sister. Hinata-chan actually said that you saw her the day we rescued Hanabi-chan. Well done, by the way. She's one of the stealthiest among us."

Kakashi thought through those words carefully, his tone considering when he spoke again. "So essentially, what you're saying is… it's not that you _won't_ fight, it's that you _can't_ teach your kids well enough to do so."

"Basically, yes."

Though Iruka couldn't see it, a slow smile spread across Kakashi's face. "So all we have to do is round out the kid's education, right? Tell you what, if you can trust me enough, send me your fighters. Let me test them, assess their abilities, and then we can smooth them out. Deal?"

Iruka chuckled. "Jumping right into this, aren't you, Hatake-san?"

Kakashi allowed his voice to become more serious again. "I've seen the results of some of your interventions – the way kids who would have died just vanished. I've _heard_ the speculation, the almost painful hope in the people's voices as they whisper about someone standing up to Danzo. And if my skill can make that hope a reality, then you have my complete loyalty."

The younger man only shook his head. "I can't say that I haven't dreamed of being able to change Konoha, to give it a chance to get back to what it was when I was their age. I'll get one of the kids to show you to a room you can use. And yes, I'll trust you. Itachi says you're a good man, and has wanted to bring you into this for a while."

As Iruka walked out of the room, he laughed out loud at Kakashi's reaction to his last words. "Wait, _Uchiha Itachi_?!"


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N:** And the next one should be done by nightfall. Poor Kakashi, I keep dropping him in strange situations where he can't shine (you'll see). Anyway, thank you to everyone who reads this, and especially to those who reviewed: **Kita the Spaz, jazzy2may, Julieanna333, Thealie, Ryu Earth, iNsAnE nO bAkA, movintarget, Rangerfan58, ChibiAliChan, WhyMustIWrite, GoldenRat, RabidYaoiFanboy** and **TheWatcherandReader.**

And a special thank you goes to **ruminate**, for pointing out an error for me. *bows respectfully*

* * *

: _She stumbled, nearly falling in her panic, but she scrambled desperately and managed to stay on her feet. Even at four, she knew that she had gotten lucky so far, but that she couldn't count on that luck to save her again. It was purely a fluke that the strange man she had been given to after someone had taken her from her room – again – had dropped his attention enough to allow Hinata to hit the chakra point in his arm and make him drop her. _

_After the first time, her daddy had made sure to teach her how to get away, but… this man was __**so**__ fast. But daddy would be so mad if he had to come get her again._

'_Run, run run' she thought, 'run and dodge and run. And find daddy.' _

_She wasn't very far from home – close enough that she knew some of the kids only a little older than her played out here – but this early in the morning, the streets were empty. A dark shadow landed in front of her, and Hinata couldn't stop the small shriek from tearing out as she stumbled again and fell. The little girl curled up instinctively, fully expecting a hand… that never came. _

_She heard a soft thump, and then a sound that she recognized from the house. 'Sparring?' she thought in confusion, but she didn't dare to look up from her safe little ball. A few moments – and a number of crashes – later, and a voice muttered, clearly to himself. "Not a ninja. How did a regular mercenary…? Doesn't matter." _

_And then the voice spoke softly to her. "Hey, are you okay? Sweetheart?" Hinata hesitantly looked up, fear written all over her small face as she met the teenager's eyes. _

_Iruka knelt, ignoring the blood staining his clothes as he held his hand out to the tiny girl lying on the ground. He was a little shocked to see those rather distinctive blue eyes marking the child as a Hyuuga. But after a moment, tears welled up in those eyes, and the little girl nearly threw herself at Iruka, sobbing quietly. _

"_I'm sorry" she choked out. "I'm sorry I let the bad ninjas steal me again. I thought… they looked like ours!" _

_Iruka's eyes went wide as the child's apology filtered through, bringing her identity with them. 'A Hyuuga girl, about four, stolen __**again**__… Holy… this is the heiress!' he thought in mild shock. _

_But then the last words sank in. 'Looked like ours… ROOT. They're the only ones I know that could – and __**would**__ – have taken her from the Hyuuga complex since the clan tightened their security. But that means… she can't go home.' _:

-

Kakashi ran his gaze quickly over the assorted children in front of him. He hadn't really bothered with the younger ones, instead focusing on the older ones. Children between the ages of eight and twelve years old were sitting on the ground or leaning against the wall, all waiting for Kakashi to begin his assessment.

He started simple, asking basic questions about chakra, tactics, weapons and other combat-relevant subjects. The smaller children answered eagerly, more than willing to show off for the new adult. The older ones just watched. When he started on the more advanced concepts, however, the children began to make mistakes. Kakashi expected this. He did _not_ expect the kids to take offence when he corrected them. It was not so much that the kids thought that Kakashi was wrong, as they thought that Iruka knew better.

Kakashi couldn't seem to make them understand that what they knew _was_ right, just not under the circumstances he gave them. It was getting aggravating. And when Kakashi heard – for the hundredth time – "Sensei said different", he muttered under his breath. "Well maybe 'Sensei' is an idiot."

He didn't really mean it; he was just getting tired of having children questioning him at every turn.

Kiba, unfortunately, did not know that. The Inuzuka boy snapped around to face Kakashi, eyes narrowing even as he puffed up in outrage. Kakashi mentally winced, belatedly remembering that the Inuzuka were known for their sharp senses. "_WHAT_ did you say?!" the twelve year old snarled.

This, naturally, caught the attention of every child present. The Kyuubi child's comment didn't help. "He called Iruka-sensei an idiot."

The children buzzed angrily at this, killing intent spiking in the air. The Uchiha boy spoke next, his voice as cold as ice. "There is supposed to be a sparring trial next, isn't there?"

There was a split second of silence, and then Naruto and Kiba called out. "Get him!"

Kakashi had enough time for one last thought.

_'Crap.'_

-

He waited in the empty room, his stillness hiding an incredibly strong impatience. He had left their old signal in the usual place, a gesture that he was certain his former squad mates would not have forgotten.

Not too long later, and a soft knock made a small, satisfied smile spread across his face. Shikaku quickly opened his door, gesturing Chouza and Inoichi inside without speaking. Once the three friends had settled down in the living room, the newcomers shared a quick glance before the blond one spoke.

"Shi, we heard about Shikamaru. We're so sorry, is there…" Inoichi trailed off as Shikaku began to chuckle quietly. The two shared a glance again, clearly wondering if their darker friend had gone insane with grief.

Chouza dared to speak. "Um, Shikaku…"

He was cut short as the shadow user looked up, a new light in the man's eyes and a smile on his lips. "My friends, you _have_ to hear this."

-

'_Comrades'_ he reminded himself. _'They are only kids, and they are comrades. You. don't. Strangle. COMRADES.'_ Kakashi pivoted to his left, barely avoiding the small fist aimed at his solar plexus.

His mind had divided itself into a number of different tasks – one part focusing on not allowing himself to be hit, one part tempering his responses to avoid hurting the children, one part analyzing their fighting… and one small part staring in dumbfounded shock and surprise.

Their moves were simple; basic skills that should have been no trouble for the Jounin to deal with. But… their teamwork was nearly perfect. Like these three – he deflected Naruto's head-on bounce-off-the-wall attack, only to find Hinata coming in low to attack his legs from behind while Lee came in from the left with a flying kick aimed at his head.

Even when he dodged both attacks, Lee's kick took him right over the quiet girl – who reached out a hand, allowing Lee to use her weight as an axis to spin around and launch himself from.

Kakashi had yet to see one child pull up short to avoid hitting another. That small part of his mind was stuttering in awe. There was a flow, a unity among the rabble that he had only seen among the closest of ANBU squads. Every child was supporting the others, using their strength to cover another's weakness. And trusting the others to support that one in return.

They weaved among each other's attacks, sometimes coming within a hairsbreadth of each other – but never colliding. He hurriedly blocked a sharp Jyuuken strike – _'from the Uchiha boy? What?'_ – only to find a bundle of white fur barreling into his ankles. Kiba wasn't far behind his partner, bringing a quick upper cut – that clipped Kakashi's chin.

The Jounin's eyes narrowed. _'That shouldn't have hit. He wasn't quite close enough.'_ The next time a strike glanced off of his shoulder, and Kakashi realized that he had fallen into someone's trap. _'Clever.'_ he thought, even as he formed a quick seal.

It was as if he had blinked, and all of a sudden the little boy who had been attacking was just a fraction of an inch closer than he had been. _'Very clever. That could be a very effective genjutsu for combat. To show what's real, just a touch farther away… if they were closer to my speed, those wouldn't have been just glancing blows.'_ His eyes quickly sought out the little girl standing back in a corner, mentally marking her face.

He darted back – only to find himself frozen, unable to move. Eyes hurriedly searching, he spotted the Nara boy using chakra to hold himself on the upper portion of the wall, hands held in a very familiar seal. The boy caught his eye and smirked ever so slightly.

One surge of chakra later and Kakashi shot a hard glare at the boy even as he absently wiped the blood away from the split lip he got from Naruto while he was immobilized. _'That's enough'_ he thought, unconsciously echoing the words out loud. "That's enough!"

Three seals later, and the children were all struggling in knee-deep mud. Kakashi glared again at Shikamaru, who shrugged unconcernedly and stepped down into the mud.

Kakashi looked around again at the now filthy – but acquiescent – children, taking a deep breath. He was surprised to find that, although there were no weapons or strong jutsu used, his heart rate was elevated.

He couldn't help but to look at the kids with a new respect – not that he would tell them that, of course.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Didn't quite make it by nightfall, but still before tomorrow. That's good enough, right? Thank you again to my reviewers: **Ryu Earth, ChibiAliChan, Thealie, Rangerfan58, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Caranina, Curtis Zidane Ziraa **and **xdelta_ha-chanx**. Ya'll rock.

* * *

: _Iruka moved quickly, quietly. He selected his items carefully, keeping in mind his resources. He had almost a dozen young children to feed – not to mention himself – and without working, he was quickly running out of money to leave the new shopkeeper. _

_But then a slight sound reached his ears and he whirled around, ready to fight or flee. The light came on and… Iruka blinked, suddenly finding himself looking down at two boys no more than eight years old. _

_The darker haired child regarded the teenager seriously, the expression strange on such a small face. The brunet, an overweight boy with a sleepy expression, rubbed his eyes tiredly. _

_The black haired boy finally spoke. "You're rescuing the little kids, aren't you?" _

_Iruka blinked again, surprised. "What… makes you think that?" he asked, mind racing to try and figure out the strange situation he found himself in. _

_The child looked at him almost pityingly, as if it should be obvious even to a half wit. "There were a couple of kids like, um… Uzumaki, I think his name was – who vanished. Then Chouji" he gestured at the brunet, "tells me that his dad keeps finding money in place of groceries." _

_The boy tilted his head slightly. "But what gave it away is, the more kids that have vanished, the more groceries that get replaced here. I'm surprised Chouza-san hasn't figured it out, my dad would have if he knew. It's kind of obvious – the groceries are feeding the kids, which means the person who takes the food is the person who's saving the little ones." _

_Iruka said the only thing he could at that point. "Oh." _

_The boy sighed. "You didn't think of that, did you? …It's troublesome, but… we want to help." _

_And three months later, Kuro and Chairo were introduced to Akai, and later to Shiro._

-

It had been nearly two weeks now that Kakashi had been living with the rebel children and their odd leader, watching everything about the group.

Here, stronger or not, he was not the leader. In this place, his Jounin rank held little meaning because he was an unknown. But he had expected difficulty in finding a place in the upper ranks of this tightly-knit little community, and for now, accepted his odd position the fringes of the group.

He treated it almost like an infiltration mission, in that he attempted to memorize as many of the details and dynamics as possible. He had learned a great deal already.

For example, there was a specific group of students that Iruka relied upon, who formed the core of his fighting team and enforced discipline.

Uzumaki, Naruto was loud, energetic, but absolutely certain that they could do anything. The blond was the prankster of the group, always doing something to cheer up those who were feeling down.

Inuzuka, Kiba was also loud, but in a more aggressive way. The feral boy adored Iruka, as did all of the children, but Kiba held the scarred man as his pack leader, and would viciously confront anyone who dared even appear to challenge the man. Kakashi had been attacked more than once for using the wrong phrases when correcting something that the younger man had taught the boy.

Uchiha, Sasuke was… driven. The solemn boy pushed himself to his limits, striving for a goal that Kakashi did not yet understand. He would smile and laugh with the others, but more than once Kakashi had spotted the boy training by himself – or being lectured by Iruka for training when he was _supposed_ to be sleeping.

Hyuuga, Hinata was a quiet child, the peacemaker and little mother of the group. But even she proved to have steel in her when she needed it, as well as an aptitude for stealth. He didn't get to test her as much, though – she always seemed to have her younger sister clinging to her.

The Nara boy was difficult to read. Shikamaru had hidden his true abilities for so long that it was taking every trick Kakashi knew to drag out that potential without risking real harm to the boy. Though Iruka had talked Kakashi into playing shogi with the kid. The Jounin swore to himself that he would never make that mistake again – it was humiliating to be defeated by a half-asleep pre-teen.

Rock, Lee was… enthusiastic. The boy was loud, but possessed an almost psychotic eagerness to learn and improve. In a way, the older child was almost as driven as the Uchiha boy, only more vocal about it. In fact… _'Damn,' _Kakashi thought. _'His attitude almost reminds me of a young Gai. Just… without the spandex.'_

After the core group was a number of other children, mostly a little younger – nine to eleven seemed to be the average – and weaker, but still sharing in the determination and belief of the older ones.

At any rate, he had personally tested each of the children, alone and in teams. He had watched them spar one on one, many on one, and against both weaker children and – as if he could forget – Kakashi himself.

Kakashi felt certain that he had a fairly decent understanding of each one's strengths, weaknesses and inclinations. He quickly realized, however, that his initial assessment had been correct.

Iruka was the one whose trust he needed to gain. Kakashi would have to have been blind not to notice the way that the children glanced at their leader for confirmation when Kakashi gave them seemingly odd orders, or the way that they brought comments to Iruka that they did not speak in front of Kakashi himself.

Iruka seemed to be a combination of teacher, brother, friend and father to 'his' children – even the ones who had families aboveground. It was to the younger man that the children brought their hopes and fears, their questions and ideas. To Iruka they bragged about their successes and fretted over their failures. Iruka was the one they turned to for judging arguments, and it was Iruka whose voice, when using certain tones, brought instant and unquestioning obedience.

It felt odd, taking orders from a man whom he had no doubts he could easily defeat in battle – though to be fair, Iruka used that authority lightly – but Kakashi was the outsider here, and they had to trust him before they would follow him. He had no doubts that if he pushed too hard, the children would utterly deny him.

But regardless, assessment was over, and it was time for the intervention to begin. And for this, he needed Iruka.

-

The three gathered quietly, cautiously making sure that they could not be overheard and had not been followed. When they spoke, their voices were low, the first voice that of a female. "I've confirmed it, there's been no report of his capture. And before you ask, yes. I made sure that no one knew I was looking into anything."

Another voice, deeper than the first, responded. "That doesn't necessarily mean anything. ROOT doesn't always file written reports."

The third spoke then, his voice lighter than the first, giving more of an impression of youth than the first two. "Oh, stop it. We all know that he's too good to be caught by surprise. And he'd have put up enough of a fight that people would've noticed, and talked. We would have heard if he'd been found."

There was a moment of silence as the other two considered those words, and then an agreeing nod from the older man. "True. So he either escaped, or is still in Konoha."

The woman spoke next. "He wouldn't leave, not with the village the way it is. He stayed for the people, not himself. If he's hunted now… he's probably planning something."

The three fell silent again, before the younger man spoke. "I'm with him. Something has to be done, and if anyone can do it, I think he can. So I'll wait, and when the time comes, I'll go and stand beside him."

The other two looked at him, and then at each other. The older man spoke for them both. "And we will be beside you, Drake."

And with that, Kakashi's old ANBU squad broke apart before anyone began to wonder where they were.

-

He gestured vaguely, most of his attention focused on the notes spread out before him. From what he could tell, Iruka had focused on teaching the children all of the basics, though Kakashi couldn't understand why whichever area Iruka specialized in wasn't more obvious.

Usually, you could tell what the teacher specialized in by the way the students fought, but he couldn't find any one area that was particularly advanced in the group as a whole. So, when in doubt, ask.

"Alright, Umino. What is your specialty, and I'll see what I can do to round out the rest."

The long moment of silence was what finally caught his attention. He looked up to find the scarred man watching him with an expression of great amusement. "What?"

Iruka chuckled. "My specialty? Kakashi-san, what rank of shinobi do you think I am?"

Kakashi straightened up, looking at the younger man in slight puzzlement. "Well, I was initially thinking Special Jounin, but lately I think I over… why are you laughing?"

Kakashi attempted to glare at his new partner, but he was too confused to properly intimidate the man. Of course, it may not have worked even if Kakashi had been at his best, considering that the man was leaning against the table to remain standing while he laughed himself nearly sick.

It took a while for the other man to pull himself together, and even then the occasional chuckle broke free as he spoke. "Kakashi-san, I'm flattered. But, um… I went underground for good nearly eight years ago – I was fourteen. Technically, Kakashi-san… I'm still listed as a Genin."

Kakashi failed to react for an instant as the casually spoken words sank in. Then he exploded. "You're a _WHAT?! _Are you serious?!" The tanned man simply nodded, clearly fighting not to laugh again.

Kakashi floundered briefly, but then he pulled himself somewhat together. "Genin? You're a Genin?! That… is absolutely unacceptable! Umino, consider yourself field promoted. Congratulations, you're a Chunin. You… it's not _that_ funny."


	15. Chapter 14

**A/:** HOLY COW! *gapes in awe* This has broken 100 reviews, people! The only other thing I wrote that did that - or even half of that - was Storm, and that was only after I finished it! Wow. Just wow. You guys are great. Thanks again to everyone who reads, but especially to those who comment. This time: **micah.n10, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Julieanna333, GoldenRat, TheWatcherandReader, ChibiAliChan, Thealie, zeynel, Ryu Earth, Shadowgal ANBU** and **RabidYaoiFanboy**.

A special thanks has to go out to **singing ferret** for pointing out a few things from canon that I wasn't aware of or hadn't thought about. (yes, I'm hopelessly behind.) I've had to change a few things to stay in line with these things, but I think that the story will actually be better for it. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy.

* * *

The man twitched uneasily in his sleep, his mind invaded by old memories.

: _He wasn't surprised. _

_When Danzo had taken power, he had been as elated as everyone else. When ROOT had been given authority over ANBU, he had felt the first stirrings of concern. When they had changed the symbol of Konoha, the one-line leaf that had stood for generations as the representation of the people's spirit, he had balked. _

_He had been very vocal in his disapproval, raising more and more hell with every troubling change. _

_So he wasn't surprised when he woke in the middle of the night to find himself being surrounded, hauled away as a 'traitor'. If anything, he wondered why they struck __**this**__ night, out of all others._

_-_

_He got his answer the next night, when they dragged a woman – bound as he was with chains and chakra-suppression shackles, but still fighting wildly – into the cell next to his. "YOU BASTARDS!" the woman screamed, raw rage and killing intent making the very air around her tremble. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY CLAN?! TO __**MY BABIES**__?!"_

_His eyes wide, he listened to her scream and curse for a good half hour before her throat became too raw to keep up the volume. He heard her fall to her knees, still beating her fist – weakly now – on the floor of the cell. She was sobbing. _

"_Ma'am?" He spoke hesitantly, unsure of how the older woman would take his presence. A small part of him was actually glad for the walls between them right now. He didn't ask if she was alright. He wasn't – despite what his rival might say – stupid. _

_A low, choked growl was his only response. _

_Later, he would be told of the horrific assault on the Inuzuka clan, and their likely slaughter. Later, he would discover that there were others in the dungeon besides the two, as well as ROOT's reason for keeping the few of them alive. _

_But for now, he decided it would be in his best interest to stay quiet for a while. _:

-

_**Wham!**_ Iruka crashed to the ground, quickly jumping back on his feet and away from the attack he knew was coming. Even so, he just barely avoided the kunai hurled at his gut.

A blur of motion, the passing of air and Iruka dropped into a fast spinning sweep, trying to knock the legs out from under his attacker. He got a foot planted in his chest for the trouble.

Even as he stumbled back, fighting to breathe, his opponent came at him with kunai in each hand. He blocked with his own weapons, pivoting on his right foot as the blades met. Trying to throw the other off balance, because he knew that he would not be able to win in a strength-on-strength match. It seemed to work – until the other's front hand touched the ground.

Eyes widening, Iruka jumped back. But this time, he wasn't fast enough. The reversed drop-kick caught him squarely in the side of the head, throwing him to the ground.

This time, with his head ringing and his lungs still heaving, he couldn't get up again before his opponent literally dropped on him. The other buried one knee in his gut using one hand to pin Iruka's own hands while the free hand touched a kunai to the newly-appointed Chunin's throat.

Iruka relaxed then, huffing a small sigh as Kakashi smiled down at him. "You're getting better." the Jounin nearly chirped as he stood up again, allowing Iruka to get to his feet.

"If you say so." he muttered.

That infuriating smile still in place, Kakashi tossed right back at him "why not ask them?"

Iruka spun, shock written on his face as he noticed the crowd of wide-eyed children gathered in the doorway of the sparring room. The moment Kakashi put down his weapons, the kids rushed in, quickly surrounding their Sensei and bombarding him with questions. "Are you okay" was the most common, followed closely by "do you want us to get him?"

As he assured his children that yes, he was really okay and no, they didn't need to 'get' Kakashi, he noticed the Jounin slip quietly out of the room.

-

Sakura clasped both hands over her mouth, stifling the girlish squeal that tried to break free. She turned wide bright eyes up to her teacher, grinning excitedly behind her blood-stained hands. Hana laughed. "You did it, Sakura."

The pink haired girl bounced in place, her entire being a riot of exhilaration and pride. She had _finally_, after so many weeks, gotten the jutsu right. It may have been only a small wound she had healed, but still…

Like Iruka-sensei had told her, even a little healing could turn a lethal wound into merely a serious one.

-

After Iruka put the kids to bed – which was where they were _supposed_ to be in the first place – he sought the older man out. He found the Jounin sitting at a table in the common room, writing in an old journal that Iruka had given him. Kakashi even started using it once Iruka explained that he had been using one to keep track of the children's progress and to write out lesson plans.

One dark eye looked up at the younger shinobi when he sat down across from the older one. "This is going to take forever." Were the quietly spoken words that seemed so uncharacteristic of the silver haired man.

Iruka smiled, only a little sadly. "Now you know how I felt all these years. They've got so much potential, but… even with the system we've got – training the more advanced ones and having them help train the less skilled ones – there is still so much that I just can't do. A lot of the kids can understand, but they can't teach well, so I still have to watch over the lessons. This leaves me little time for teaching new things. It's just too much for one person – or even for two, especially since I'm being trained too."

"Yeah, it…" Kakashi's visible eye widened. "It is." A slow smile spread across the Jounin's face. "Iruka, I have a favor to ask."

-

The man stared sadly out of his bedroom window, the soft glow of his cigar the only light in the room. Nights like this, with the moon clouded over and the streets so very quiet, he couldn't help reflecting on how life had changed in the last ten years.

He had left Konoha years before, but returned for his father's funeral. He had stayed after, to try and help restore order to the city he still loved in spite of everything. And he had been caught, too distracted – like so many others – by his sadness and worry to realize what was happening until it was too late. Now he was trapped, able only to watch helplessly as his city fell apart around him.

He turned away, walking towards the kitchen to fix a late supper. But he stopped, sensing eyes on him from behind. He turned around, quickly focusing on the moonlight glinting off of familiar silver hair.

Asuma gaped, his cigar dropping to the floor. He actually stepped on it as he strode over to open the window, nearly dragging the Copy Ninja inside the room.

"What are you _doing_ Kakashi?!" the older man hissed. "You shouldn't be here; you shouldn't be in Konoha at all. No one can stand up to Danzo, not even you. Why aren't you gone?!"

Kakashi leaned in, a strange light glinting in his eye as he laid his hands on the older man's shoulders. "Asuma. Asuma, stop." The Copy Ninja waited until the ex-Jounin quieted and looked squarely at him, slightly unnerved by that odd gleam.

"Asuma, old friend, what would you say if I told you that you were wrong? That there was an entire generation of shinobi, as strong as anyone ROOT recruited, who were willing to do exactly that – stand up and fight for the old values? That all they needed was a teacher to help them advance their skills?"

The older man made a disdainful sound. "_Tch._ I'd say that you're delusional."

Kakashi only grinned, watching Asuma's eyes snap even wider as a young voice spoke from behind the Copy Ninja. "Hey, watch it, old man. This guy might be a lazy pervert, but he's right!"

Asuma gaped again, looking past Kakashi to stare at the blue-eyed blond who dropped into the room. Asuma stepped closer, his mouth working silently as he inspected the blond hair, the distinctive whisker-like marks. The older shinobi turned back to the younger one, shock written on his face. "Kakashi, that's…"

"Uzumaki, Naruto, Konoha's number one ninja! And once we take down that old bastard, then I'm gonna be the Hokage, and make this town just as good – no, _better_ – than the Konoha that Sensei talks about! You can believe it!"

Asuma stared, his gaze moving slowly between the pair who had invaded his apartment. Finally, the man swallowed hard, and though his eyes were on Naruto, he spoke to Kakashi.

"…when can I start?"


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N:** This chapter was tough to write. It just didn't want to cooperate. Anyway, thank you to: **singing ferret, cheesynoodle, jazzy, Thealie, Curtis Zidane Ziraa, Ryu Earth, Rangerfan58, Sin Piedad, RabidYaoiFanboy, iNsAnE nO bAkA, WhyMustIWrite, GoldenRat, hieiashke, alana chantelune **and** Harvey**.

**Question: **I've hit a point in the story where I could go one of two ways, and I'd like to know what you guys would prefer. There's a training period coming for the kids, and I can either write out the scenes I have an idea about, which would make the story longer but delay the really exciting stuff, or do a time-skip for the next chapter - which would shorten the story but bring the 'final showdown' faster.

Also, does anyone know what Shino's dad's name is? Everywhere I can find is split between Gen and Shibi.

**

* * *

**: _She moved as quietly as she was able, her sandals still making entirely too much noise for her comfort. So she slipped them off. Even if she wound up with bruised feet, it would be worth it. Her family might have thought nothing of it, but Tenten was __**itching**__ to know why two Academy students could possibly need so many kunai. _

_So she followed the two boys, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. The ten-year-old darted from cover to cover, silently praying that the boys really were as tired as they had seemed. Finally they stopped, in front of what used to be a store before ROOT had hauled away its owners. Now it was only an empty husk of a building. But that was where they stopped, so that was where Tenten watched, straining her eyes and ears for any hint of motion or noise that she could catch. _

_Finally her patience was rewarded. Out of nowhere, a small form slipped into view, cautiously coming up to the boys. They handed over their sack of weapons, taking nothing in return. Tenten frowned. That… was suspicious. But then the smaller form looked up, and the moonlight reflected off of delicate features and wide, solid blue eyes. _

_Tenten's own eyes widened. __**'Hyuuga eyes' **__she thought in shock. __**'But, the only Hyuuga girl around their age was…'**__ She gasped as she realized exactly who this cautious girl must be. Unfortunately for her, she had forgotten that she was in hiding. Three heads snapped around, quickly honing in on her hiding place. She quickly found herself surrounded, three sets of disturbingly serious eyes locked on her. "Um, hi?" she ventured. _

_"Why were you following us?" That was the darker of the two boys, Shikamaru. His usual laziness seemed to have evaporated somehow. _

_Tenten tried to form an intelligent response, but her eyes kept straying to the apparently-not-so-dead Hyuuga heiress. Her voice went on without her as her mind started clicking pieces together. "You're protecting her." she mumbled, a slightly awed note in her voice. "You must be. And not just her, there's got to be others. You wouldn't need so many weapons if you weren't…" Tenten looked straight into the worried eyes of the trio, her own gaze honest. "Do you need any more? I can probably get you some." _

_The three blinked, looking at one another with varying degrees of confusion. Finally the girl spoke. "Um, maybe. Meet us back here at this time Tuesday night, and we'll talk about it then." _

_"Sure!" _:

-

The loud click of the cell door being unlocked woke her, the woman moving to attack even as her eyes slid open. And then she was jerked back, the chains around her neck half strangling her as they tightened. Tsume choked, instinctive tears blurring her sight even more than the already dim light. But still, she fought, trying her best to hurt the two ROOT guards who took her out of her cell.

As they literally dragged her down the hall, snarling curses and fighting to get her hands on her captors, a series of quiet thuds reached her sensitive ears. She faltered, pausing in her struggles for an instant to listen to the soft sounds. A moment later, a cruel smile crossed her lips as she resumed her efforts. A few more yards, and a young trainee opened a pair of heavy steel doors.

One of her 'escorts' touched a seal on her shackles, but, as always, Tsume was shoved through the doors before the seal unlocked her chains. She grinned anyway. Now bound with only the one distance-controlled collar, her body was much lighter. Much more dangerous.

She spit a few more curses at her guards, her situation, and particularly Danzo as she quickly stretched, eyes raking the large steel-domed room for any changes since her last 'session'. She finished warming up just as a smaller door opened in the opposite wall.

Tsume gave a vicious smile to the two ROOT cadets who stepped confidently through that door. "Come and die, little bastards."

-

Iruka fidgeted, nervously arranging all of Sanctuary's dull training weapons into piles according to size and weight. He knew that Kakashi trusted this man, and Itachi trusted Kakashi – Iruka himself had begun to trust Kakashi over the weeks – but still…

He just couldn't help but worry. He didn't know this 'Asuma' but the man was – if Kakashi and Naruto had anything to say about it – about to gain entrance into Sanctuary. They were bringing a complete stranger into the only safe place his children had left.

He stifled a sigh, trying vainly to force his mind away from the issue. The children – with the exceptions of Sasuke and Shikamaru, who were cynics by nature – were excited, eagerly awaiting the new arrival.

Iruka just couldn't seem to stop thinking about everything that could go wrong.

-

The clink of chains rang down the hallway long before the trio approached. A soft scraping sound, like something being dragged, preceded the opening of a door. A heartbeat, and a dull thump, and the door closed again with the clanking sound of the lock bolting back into place.

Gai waited patiently until he heard a groan. He moved closer to the connecting wall, then, but he stayed silent until he heard a rough voice muttering. "Tsume" he called, quietly in case she had taken a blow to her head.

A sharp bark of laughter answered him. "Yeah, I'm alright. I got both of the little bastards before they zapped me enough to take me down, though, so that's two less ROOT zombies to poison our village. And guess what?"

He could hear the smugness in her voice, and a grin tugged at his own lips in return. "You got to punch Danzo?"

Another laugh, though this time it turned into a hacking cough. Cracked ribs, probably. "I wish. Got a message on my way. Seems little Miss Genjutsu got one of her last set, too. So that's three down. One stronger and three dead, not bad if we have to be training tools."

-

Asuma watched closely, utterly amazed as Kakashi reached out, touching a specific crack in the wall and making the appearance of an empty old cistern fade away. Suddenly the dry, crumbling cistern became full of water, and Asuma blinked as he saw a fish jump in one of the large tanks.

The Kyuubi child – Naruto, he called himself – snickered at the expression on the ex-Jounin's face. The blond slipped past Kakashi, opening a door set into the stone walls. The boy dropped into a dramatic, sweeping bow.

"Welcome to Sanctuary."


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Fair warning, guys, nothing much happens in this, but it ends in a slight cliffie. And it may take me another week to get the next chapter up - for the next two weeks I have either school or work all day long, six days a week. And I'm sick to boot. Anyway, thanks again to all those who read, and a big thanks to those who review: **jazzy2may, Ryu Earth, micah.n10, The Dancing Bard, Golden Rat, ruminate, TheWatcherandReader, Rangerfan58, Sin Piedad, iNsAnE nO bAkA, stranger's chld waking, WhyMustIWrite, singing ferret, umino-gaara **and** ChibiAliChan**. I got a lot of helpful comments and some good advice from you guys.

* * *

: _He darted forward, his movements graceful and flowing. The boy struck out with open hands, shifting effortlessly into the next move of the kata. _

_The moonlight glinted off of wide, pale eyes as he moved. It was past curfew, and he would be in a lot of trouble if he was caught out, but he preferred training at night. During the day, a strange heaviness hung in the air, the adults walking softly and speaking guardedly. _

_Neji finally stopped, his breath slowly evening out. During these rare, quiet hours, his mind ghosted over things that he rarely allowed himself to consider in the daylight. _

_He never thought that he would admit to missing one of the Main Branch, but… he missed little Hinata-chan. He had never realized just how much the girl had smiled, or how soothing her soft little voice had been until she was gone. And even though it had been four years, he still occasionally found himself wishing that he could hear the quiet patter of his younger cousin's feet. _

_Neji stood again, the nine year old mentally bracing himself to go back into the nearly stifling silence of the Hyuuga compound. Until he heard a thump in the distance, a noise that would have been quiet during the bustle of the day but seemed loud in the quiet night. _

_Hesitating only for an instant, Neji turned and ran back away from the supposed safety of his clan's House. Two corners and three streets later, and he heard footsteps racing down a street towards him. He pulled up too late, and was slammed into by a smaller blond boy. _

_Neji tumbled to the ground, jumping up instantly. The blond boy, however, was caught by a darker haired boy following behind him. Another pair of children rounded the corner behind the first pair, a boy about Neji's age holding tightly to the hand of a smaller individual._

"_Go!" the new boy hissed, and the blond grabbed Neji's arm, pulling him with them as the four children ran. Back on the street the four had come from, Neji heard the distinctive sounds of battle, the whine of kunai and the '__**pop**__' of clones being destroyed. _

_Only a few moments afterwards, the five children took shelter in an old sewer pipe, and Neji didn't need the smaller child's shushing gesture to keep him still and silent._

_Many long moments passed before a strong, quiet voice called out. "It's me, I lost them. Gumball." _

_Neji blinked, but the smaller of the dark haired boys grinned at him. "Gumball. That's the code word this time, so we know that it's really Sensei." _

_Neji slowly nodded his understanding, watching curiously as the other children poured out of the tunnel and rushed over to a scarred shinobi. A shinobi wearing the old symbol. _

_The young man looked over the four children quickly, clearly checking carefully for any sign of injury. And then, much to Neji's surprise, he stepped over and did the same to Neji. "Are you alright, Hyuuga-kun?" the strange man asked. _

_Neji blinked, looking around at the gathered group. "Um, yes sir, I'm…"And then the smallest of the group tilted her face up towards the sky. _

_Neji gasped, his mouth dropping open as moonlight reflected off of pale blue eyes, and a hauntingly familiar face. "Hinata-chan?!" The girl froze, darting a suddenly panicked glance at the shinobi. _

_The three strange boys looked uncertainly back and forth, the blond one muttering a quiet "Uh-oh."_ :

-

Apparently Naruto's words were an appropriate cue, because a scarred young man stepped forward to beckon the still-stunned ex-Jounin into the rebel group's lair.

"Naruto-kun is right, Sarutobi-san. Hatake-san has told us a great deal about you, and it is an honor to welcome you to our home. My name is Umino, Iruka – though you'll probably hear the kids call me Sensei most of the time."

Kakashi leaned in, resting an elbow on Asuma's shoulder. "Don't let him b.s. you like that, Asuma. Iruka here is one hell of a Chunin – actually had me thinking he was a Special Jounin for the first few days – and he's the leader of this little band. Just a word of warning – the kiddies you're about to meet all adore him. So don't piss him off and for God's sake don't insult him – the little ankle biters will eat you alive."

Asuma's lips twitched as the scarred Chunin sputtered, blushing even as he denied Kakashi's praise. The boy, Naruto, just grinned even more widely.

Asuma looked beyond the pair in front of him, and over a sea of young faces. He counted at least forty children, some as young as three years old, and all watching him expectantly. He blinked – and then smiled easily, waving at the assembled children. "Hey. I'm Asuma and I'm here to help you all out. So, who are some of you?"

Watching Asuma move among the kids, answering questions from and asking names of the young ones, Iruka turned to Kakashi. "Does he have kids?"

The masked Jounin _hmm'_d thoughtfully for a moment, and then he shrugged. "A nephew, I think. But not all of your kids are jumping on him."

And he was right. A number of the older rebels, Iruka's core students included, were sitting back, watching Asuma suspiciously. Even as the two watched, Shikamaru leaned in to say something quietly to Kiba. The Inuzuka boy leaned slightly towards the crowd, sniffing the air before he glanced back and shook his head.

"Hm, wonder what those two are talking about."

"I don't know, but if I know my boys, then Sarutobi-san is going to have his work cut out for him."

-

Far from Konoha, an inconspicuous man of about middle age waited patiently in a corner booth of a small café. He sipped his tea, idly scanning the menu before ordering two bowls of ramen. He smiled at the waitress, telling her that "my friend will probably have a hangover – he's a little irresponsible – so he'll need something easy on the stomach." The girl smiled knowingly, and replied that she knew just the thing.

A few moments later, and a large man slumped into the seat across from the first, one hand flung over his eyes and groaning dramatically. The man then leaned over, resting his now-folded arms on the table and his head on top of his arms. When he spoke, his voice was muffled. "Well?"

The first man hesitated, eyeing the elder one's wild white hair for a moment before he spoke. "I'm sorry, but… your boy has vanished. There is no public record of his capture, but he's been declared missing."

Unseen in the shelter of his arms, the white haired man closed his eyes, his expression twisting briefly. "So there's no hope then. No one left."

Again, the first man hesitated, and this time it caught the attention of the other. "Unless… what is it? There is something that you aren't saying, isn't there?"

The two fell silent as the waitress approached with their meal, waiting until their first few bites were eaten before speaking again.

"There is… nothing that I can confirm. However, there are rumors… It is whispered on the streets, quiet tales of children vanishing, and ROOT tracking them down. Though I find it interesting that – if this is true – there are no public announcements of the children's capture. Again, it may be nothing more than wishful thinking, but…"

The white haired man looked down then, dark eyes thoughtful over red facial tattoos. Long fingers drummed slowly on the table, and then the man stood. "Perhaps it is. Either way, keep your ears open, and keep me informed."

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama."

-

Asuma stepped out of his room and stopped, surprised to find a little one standing outside of his door, clearly waiting for him. The child, no more than five years old, grinned up at him. "Come with me" the little girl chirped before all but skipping away, her brown curls bouncing.

Asuma raised one eyebrow, but humored the child, following her through twisting corridors that led him farther and farther away from the main Sanctuary chambers. Just as the ex-Jounin was beginning to become concerned, the girl stopped, gesturing for him to precede her into a small chamber.

He stepped inside and found himself face to face with what he immediately identified as an illusion of one of the older children. The Nara boy, if he wasn't mistaken.

The illusion spoke. "Thank you, Ame-chan, you can go now."

"Kay." The little girl looked over at Asuma, giggling as she called out. "Good luck, mister." She bounced out of the room, still giggling, and Asuma turned back to the illusion. It smiled at him.

"Sarutobi-san, I'm sure you're wondering what this is about, so let me put it to you simply. We know Sensei. We trusted Kakashi-san because Akai and Sensei told us we could. We don't know you. I'm sure that Kakashi-san has told you about his assessment of each of us, so now it's our turn. This time, _we're_ testing _you_."


	18. Chapter 17 part 1

**A/N: *READ THIS* **Little bit of a format change for this one, guys. Instead of having one big flashback at the start, I've broken it up throughout the chapter. And it's not necessarily in the order that the past event occurred, but rather in relevance to the next 'present' scene. That will make more sense when you read it. Hopefully. Also, this / \ means the scene is connected. *_can stop reading now_*

And it's TBC because I _think_ I'll get to finish it today, but I'm not sure. But I didn't want to just leave it for a week if I can't get to it, especially since I've already got enough to make a normal-length (for me) chapter. Anyway, thanks again to all those who commented on my little project: **jazzy2may, BTB, GoldenRat, Julieanna333, Ryu Earth, iNsAnE nO bAkA, RabidYaoiFanboy, singing ferret, Sin Piedad, WhyMustIWrite, Rangerfan58** and **Harvey**.

So let the torture - I mean, the _testing_ - begin.

* * *

: _The children grumbled, their steps dragging as the moved unwillingly towards the classroom. "Man," Kiba griped, "this just isn't right!" _

_Even Lee nodded, and Naruto practically exploded. "Yeah! Today's Saturday, there's not supposed to be class on Saturdays. The younger kids don't have class today. And we didn't even do anything to get punished for!"_

"_Somehow, I find that hard to believe, Uzumaki. Except for Hinata, you all can't seem to __**stop**__ causing trouble." The cool voice drew the small group's attention to the two figures leaning casually against the corridor wall. _

"_Um… Neji-niisan?" Hinata managed to start the question in all of their minds, and Lee took it over._

"_Neji-kun, what are you doing here? Don't tell me that Iruka-sensei – for all of his greatness – grouped you in… whatever this is?" _

_A soft, slightly disdainful sound escaped the second of the new participants as the pair pushed off of the wall and fell into step with the others. "Sensei asked all four of us younger ones from aboveground to come if we could, and Neji and I could." _

_Naruto blinked – that was one of the longest sentences he had heard from Shikamaru in a while. _

_The ten – and two eleven – year olds shrugged, going quiet when they paused outside of the classroom door. _:

-

Kakashi stretched, allowing himself to revel in the rare peaceful moment. The younger kids were playing quietly, the middle ones were practicing tactical abilities with some case studies that he and Iruka had written up a few nights before.

The older ones were off doing their own thing, and Iruka… was walking _very_ quickly towards him? Kakashi tensed, prepared to either drop into combat mode or snatch medical supplies the instant Umino told him what was wrong.

The younger man came to a stop before the older one, brown eyes looking nervously into Kakashi's one visible eye. "Kakashi-san, have you seen Sarutobi-san or the older kids? I can't seem to find any of them."

'_Oh, that's all?'_ he thought. Kakashi relaxed then, his features shifting into his patented 'smiley-eye'. "Oh, I imagine that they're all having fun right about now." He paused, and then elaborated when Iruka only looked confused. "I noticed that the kids were plotting something the other day, so I kind of eavesdropped on them. They were planning some sort of 'test' for Asuma, so…"

Kakashi trailed off, raising an eyebrow in amusement. Iruka had paled, his eyes going almost comically wide. The teacher's voice was incredulous, and a little horrified, when he spoke. "And you _didn't stop them_?!"

Kakashi reached out, snatching hold of the younger man's elbow as he whirled to rush away. "Now, now, sensei, it's alright. Asuma won't hurt the kids."

"That's not what I'm worried about, Kakashi-san. I'm more worried about the kids hurting him."

Kakashi couldn't help it – he had to laugh at the seriousness of the little sensei's tone. "Maa, Iruka-_kun_, I think you've spent too much time with only children – you've obviously forgotten what Jounin are capable of."

The smaller man froze at those words, turning slowly to face the Copy Ninja, his eyes narrowed and his voice suddenly low. "Exc-_use_ me? _What_ did you just say?"

Kakashi smiled at him again. "You've underestimated Asuma – or overestimated your kids. Asuma and I agreed – you've done well enough with the basics, but the kids need a lot of work if they're going to be a match for ROOT. So there's no way that they'll be able to hurt Asuma."

"You… _both_ agreed?"

Had Kakashi had any idea that he was speaking to one of the most infamous former pranksters that Konoha had ever known, he would have been a little more worried about that tone. "Yep."

But he didn't know, so he just kept smiling, pretending not to notice the Chunin's next – muttered – words. "Get him, guys."

-

: _"Now, if you absolutely __**must **__let your target __**know**__ that you're coming for him, then the best thing to do – assuming that he doesn't know better – is to play a little incompetent. It's always easier to overcome someone who underestimates you – not to mention that you get to enjoy the shock on their faces when they realize just how badly they've misjudged you." _

_Iruka paused, looking at the expressions of lingering disbelief painted on each of his student's faces and smiling. "Kind of like right now."_

-

"Capture the flag, he says." Asuma muttered, his voice slightly bemused. "Get through our traps and our guards, find the red flag and take it, he says." The ex-Jounin moved easily through the dark corridors, musing on the instructions given to him by the illusion of the young shadow-user. "Piece of cake."

He silently debated whether or not to create a light as the hallways grew darker, but he decided against it. Asuma knew better than to ruin his night vision with a bright light – not to mention that doing so would advertise his exact position to his little 'opponents'.

Despite the fact that they knew the terrain and he didn't, he wasn't particularly worried. After all, how bad could a bunch of kids really be?

-

: _The kids, still grumbling quietly, opened the door. They stepped into the assigned room – and stopped, blinking in confusion as they looked around at the odd assortment of items piled on the table at the head of the room. Ropes, ribbons, glass, paper, kunai. Eggs, honey, sugar, flour… and their teacher, standing in front of the table and lightly bouncing an egg in his hand. _

_The same thought ran through all seven minds. __**'What?'**__ Naruto, unsurprisingly, was the first to burst. "Sensei, don't tell me we're going to be learning cooking or something! What __**is**__ all this?!" _

_Iruka looked up, and all of the students gaped at the slow, positively __**wicked **__smirk crept across their usually predictable teacher's face. "This, Naruto-kun?" _

_Iruka enunciated carefully as he spoke again, clearly relishing the words. "Improvised munitions." _:

-

Asuma moved slowly by this time. He had encountered a few small, easily found and disarmed traps along his way, though he had yet to encounter any of the children themselves.

No, the traps weren't difficult. What impeded his progress was the progressive darkness. He could now barely see more than a foot or two in front of him, and that made him more cautious.

He kept his tread light, feeling out the ground before putting his weight into his step. This didn't keep him from triggering the small wire trap stretched along the ground. A sharp snap of breaking wire, a slight whistle in the air, and Asuma jumped back as he flung a kunai – dull end first – at the object that came hurtling at his head. The weapon struck, and the object burst open, sending a cloud of small white particles billowing into the air.

The Jounin stopped, wiping uselessly at the white substance now coating his clothing and still floating in the air. His nose wrinkled as he smelled the substance, identifying it immediately. "Flour?" he muttered, quietly doubtful. "Why flour?"

"Flour burns." Even as Asuma whirled and jumped away, the cool young voice was calling out "Katon! Gokakyu no jutsu!"

And when the small fireball reached the slowly settling flour, it very nearly exploded, instantly tripling in size. Asuma cursed under his breath as the fireball became a wall of flame racing towards him. Quickly forming seals, he called on fast water shield around himself, allowing the fire to pass around him.

Of course, when it was past, the Uchiha boy was no where to be seen. The fact that his ears were ringing from the explosion and his night vision was now ruined wasn't helping either.

Asuma cursed again under his breath, irritated that he had fallen for such a simple trick.

-

Flat, dark eyes subtly scanned the room, their owner noting every detail of the ANBU fourth floor break room. Those eyes paused, lingered slightly on the group of three sitting at one of the small tables scattered throughout the room.

Discrete, close observation and years of practice reading lips allowed the owner of those cold eyes to determine the direction of the conversation taking place among the trio.

Thin lips tightened slightly, the man standing up and moving with all of the unconscious grace of a cat. He walked deliberately towards the small table, sorting words carefully in his mind.

He stopped in front of the table, aware that he had held the attention of the three occupants since halfway across the room. When he spoke, his voice was calm and quiet. "You should not say such demeaning things about your liaison officer, much less about ROOT in general. It could be taken as treason. Do not allow this to happen again."

As he walked away, he heard Hatake's former squad mumble in disbelief. "Did _Itachi _just try to keep us out of trouble?" The deep voice would be Boar, the oldest of the group.

"_Tch._ He probably just doesn't feel like filling out the paperwork to drag us in." That would be the kunoichi, Hare.

"Yeah, you're probably right." And the one his own age, the rather emotional Drake.

Itachi stifled a sigh, making sure that his feelings did not seep into his eyes or his face. He couldn't really afford to risk blowing his cover, not for those outside of Sanctuary's rebels, but… it hurt, sometimes, having the only people in the world who actually knew who he was – not the bastard he pretended to be – be the very ones he could endanger with his attention.

He could never decide which was worse – being alone, or knowing that if he just abandoned his self-assigned role then he had a place waiting for him. And a little brother who loved him.

-

: _"Many times, a shinobi's task requires utter secrecy. You have to get in, accomplish your goal and get out again without anyone knowing that you were there until it is too late. But, there are some situations where that rule can be bent a little." _

_The kids leaned closer – particularly Hinata, as she had long ago opted to try and be the group's stealth specialist. "For the next hour or so, you are going to learn the art of distraction."_ :

-

Naruto grinned as he heard the explosions that signaled Sasuke's attack. The blond closed his eyes and _reached_ like he had been taught years ago, gathering up energy from his core.

'_Not too much'_ he reminded himself. _'Don't want to send out enough to get through our wards and bring those ROOT bastards down on us.'_

A moment later, blue eyes opened, and Naruto _pushed_.

/ \

Near the start of the 'testing grounds', Asuma jerked, head whipping around as still night-blind eyes searched vainly for the source of the chakra pulse he sensed. Still ringing ears strained, listening for footsteps, breathing or the whine of weapons as the Jounin's steps slowed even more.

Around the next corner, Hinata bit her lip to stop a giggle.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	19. Chapter 17 part 2

**A/N:** You know, this whole test is actually just pulled out of the air. It wasn't planned at all - when so many of you said that you wanted to see the kid's training, I knew I had to introduce Asuma better, so I just sort of came up with the kids testing HIM instead. But I'm glad I did - I've had a lot of fun with it. Anyway, thanks again to all of you, especially: **CrystalHeaven, zeynel, Ryu Earth, Rangerfan58, jazzy, iNsAnE nO bAkA, cjandre, Harvey, GoldenRat, micah.n10 **and** WhyMustIWrite.**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. Yet.

**

* * *

**

Hinata watched closely, her Byakugon activated when Sasuke had released his Katon jutsu. So for her, the wall was no hindrance to her observation of her target. She ran careful eyes over the Jounin's body, mentally mapping where she needed to hit and in what order in case she had to pull back sooner than she expected.

She smiled when she felt Naruto's chakra pulse, silently counting off the pre-arranged time pattern. _'Three. Two. ONE.'_

-

: _"So whenever you work with distractions, timing is one of – if not __**the**__ – most crucial elements to remember. It's best to act within the first second __**after**__ your distraction has gone off, because your target's attention is most fully diverted in that instant." _:

-

Asuma blinked, shaking his head softly to try and clear his vision and hearing. Because of that explosion, his night vision was temporarily ruined and his ears were still ringing, so he had to rely on his chakra to navigate the dark hallway. Of course, with that chakra pulse going off at seemingly random intervals, he wasn't doing very well. But he knew that it would only take another moment for his eyes and ears to readjust.

He stretched his senses; carefully searching for the presence he had thought that he felt when the Uchiha boy had released his jutsu. _'Where was…?' _As he turned the corner, that odd chakra pulse swept through again, throwing his senses off for an instant. And in that exact moment, a bright flare of chakra spiked right behind the Jounin. _'Shit! There!'_

He moved quickly, but with his senses muddled it wasn't quick enough. A flash of blue light, a blur of motion, and Asuma felt three light strikes in quick succession before his opponent abruptly backed off and disappeared.

He stood for a moment, letting his senses adjust fully before he tried to move again. He couldn't understand – the strikes had had almost no force behind them, he doubted that he would even have bruises. Not to mention that they had been oddly placed.

Body finally responding again, Asuma stretched out his senses again – and found nothing. He scowled, confused, and formed the seals for a simple searching jutsu. Again, nothing.

His jaw dropped, his cigar falling to the ground as he realized what had happened – the Hyuuga girl had closed off three of his major chakra points. Until enough time passed, or she opened them again, his jutsu were useless to him.

Asuma stood dumbfounded for a brief moment, and then he laughed quietly. "Heh, clever little buggers, aren't you?" he murmured through his laughter.

-

'_Cannot sabotage Kakashi'_ Iruka silently reminded himself for the third time – in an hour. _'Sabotaging Kakashi would be sabotaging the kids, so I Can NOT sabotage Kakashi. Ooh, but he deserves it.' _He shot a glare at the infuriatingly lounging Jounin, dark eyes full of helpless frustration.

He couldn't _wait_ until the uppity jerk got the rude awakening that Iruka _knew_ his students would deliver. After all, he had taught them everything he had used to prank Jounin level shinobi as a boy – and there were six of them.

-

: _"Now, not every trap has to be damaging, even if you're using it in battle. For example, if you're trying to __**kill**__ your opponent but you don't have contact poison, pepper in the eyes works almost as well. It won't __**hurt**__ the other, but it will slow them down and make it harder for them to move effectively. So never underestimate 'harmless' things. Any questions?" _:

-

Asuma fumbled along as best he was able, which wasn't very well considering his current handicaps. He had never realized that he unconsciously fed a small amount of chakra into sharpening his senses or lightening his step, until suddenly that usually-unnoticed little boost wasn't there anymore.

He felt half-blind, and ridiculously clumsy as he moved carefully through the darkness, stretching his senses as far ahead as he could. Not that he needed to. A loud shout heralded the next attack, a slender form charging at him from halfway across the room and jumping into a distance-eating flying side kick.

Asuma dodged, naturally – there wasn't anything wrong with his reflexes – but the boy rolled with his landing, effectively dropping under the Jounin's counterattack. The boy – Lee, he remembered the boy being introduced as – spun, launching himself immediately at Asuma again.

Around and around they moved, Lee launching an attack and Asuma dodging or blocking, either hitting or sending the boy stumbling back as the larger one countered each assault. And then Asuma dodged – and a wide grin broke out on Lee's face. Instead of coming at him again, the boy launched himself away.

The Jounin's eyes widened, realizing too late that the boy had been trying to herd him all along, each attack moving the elder just a little in a certain direction. But it was too late now, without his jutsu available to him he couldn't change direction mid-jump.

He landed, instantly jumping away – but not before he heard the telltale _snap_ of breaking wires, or saw the ceiling seem to open up. Asuma clenched his eyes and his teeth as a thick liquid splashed down on him, followed by the light brush of something soft.

He heard Lee burst out in laughter even as the boy darted down yet another corridor, leaving the Jounin to wonder what, exactly, was now sticking to his skin.

-

: _"Of course, since most traps rely on the enemy being in a certain place, it is vitally important that you know where your opponent is at all times. It also helps if you can have observed him beforehand, and know how he is likely to move." _:

-

Shikamaru waited, carefully holding himself to the corner of the ceiling with as little chakra as possible. Soon enough, his target slipped into the corridor, wiping vainly at the watered-down sap and feathers now coating the man. Asuma hesitated at the branch in the corridor, and then chose the right hand path.

Waiting long moments to be sure that the man had gone, Shikamaru reached out and pulled a string running along the top of the left branch.

Farther down the left hand corridor, a soft bell sounded. Kiba scowled – the man was moving away from him! The boy stood, but before he walked out, he reached out and knocked twice on the floor.

-

: _"So here, even if you aren't trying to really __**hurt **__your target, this isn't an official competition. There are no set rules, or specific ways to get 'points'. Now, can anyone tell me what that means?" Iruka looked over his students, noting the wide-eyed amazement on four of the young faces – and the rapt attention on the other three. He grinned. "It means, boys and girls, that you don't have to play fair." _:

-

A muffled 'thud' echoed through the corridor, causing a small form to stir. Akamaru, his fur darkened as if for a mission, yawned sleepily as he tilted his head and listened again for a repeat of the small noise. When it did come again, the puppy obeyed his master's earlier instructions.

He got up, stretched, and moved away from the noise – carrying a small red flag as he went.

-

: _"And of course, any good trap has its final, finishing touch. The crowning moment that makes any prank worthwhile, and renders any enemy obsolete." _:

-

Asuma made his way slowly into a large room, and stopped. Something about this room triggered his instincts, and he began to slowly back away, eyes searching the shadows.

And then a noise came from the corridor behind him. The Inuzuka boy charged from the opposite direction then Asuma had come from, forcing the man to move back into the huge room to dodge the boy's attack.

And that signaled the start of the true assault. Asuma quickly found himself besieged on all sides, with six Genin attacking him with nearly flawless timing and teamwork.

Naruto grinned while he punched, sticking out his tongue as Asuma felt the boy release yet another disorienting chakra pulse. Lee, Kiba and Hinata darted in and out along with the blond, each of the four often driving the older shinobi directly into the path of one of the other fighter's attacks.

Kunai rained down at odd times, and a quick visual scan showed Sasuke leaning against the wall, smirk spread across his face as he casually tossed yet another weapon – and occasionally that blasted Katon jutsu – at the Jounin when the others were far enough back for an instant.

And… Damn it, why the hell did he keep tripping?! There wasn't anything on the… _'Oh.'_

Shikamaru stood in a corner, hands held in a gesture that anyone familiar with the Nara clan would recognize. Even as he watched, the boy smirked, shifted his hands slightly – and a shadow darted towards the Jounin, catching his sandals. The boy didn't even attempt to overpower and hold the older male, but simply allowed it to 'catch' long enough to tug at the man's feet.

One such tug coincided quite neatly with both Naruto's face punch and Lee's spinning sweep, and Asuma went down hard. The man lay on the ground, laughter bubbling up even as he called out.

"Okay, all right. I give up, you guys win. You kids… ah, you're something else, you know that?"

-

Kakashi perked up as he heard footsteps – too heavy to be any of the children – dragging down the hall. He smirked under his mask, turning around and giving in to the childish impulse to gloat – and then he froze, grey eye going wide. He could even feel his Sharingan eye spinning madly under the hitai-ate as he gaped at his fellow Jounin.

Asuma gave a weak, rueful smile – at least, Kakashi _thought_ he did. It was kind of hard to tell – Asuma was lightly singed and patchily covered in some sticky substance, with feathers adhering to odd places and a dusting of some sort of white powder in the man's dark hair.

"I think _we_ underestimated _them_, Kakashi." The two Jounin just stared; one in embarrassed bemusement, the other in dumbfounded shock.

Iruka didn't say a word. He just threw back his head and laughed until he cried.


	20. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Yay, got the next part up. Thanks still going out to readers, and reviewers: **CrystalHeaven, Ryu Earth, singing ferret, iNsAnE nO bAkA, WhyMustIWrite, Julieanna333, umino-gaara, TheWatcherandReader, Thealie, Rangerfan58, Harvey, micah.n10, gman391**, and **JDL45**.

Oh, and **singing ferret**? *pouts lightly* That is so unfair - handing me a plot bunny like that and then asking me not to deal with it. It would be hilarious. And no, I don't mind you putting requests in the review section, though I think that the proper place is in a PM (if you want to ask a specific author) or a forum. Though I'm not sure if you need an account for those... Anyway, if no one adopts it, I might - after I finish one of my other stories. *reminds self: I cannot start a new story. I cannot*

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (shortened to 'Momo' here, for Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and shinzui means core or essentials.

**

* * *

**: _The blond hesitated, blue eyes watching sadly. Naruto sighed when Sasuke stumbled with his strike, stepping out around the corner and going to his oldest and best friend. "Why do you keep doing this, Sasuke?" _

_He grit his teeth when the taller boy tried to get up again, reaching out and planting his hands on the other boy's shoulders. One quick shove and Sasuke glared up at him from the floor. Naruto dropped down beside him. _

_The two boys sat for a time, silence stretching out between them. "Really, why? You're driving yourself into the ground, and for what? You can't do it by yourself, even Sensei can't. No one person can, and sure not a seven year old. So why do you keep pushing yourself so hard?" _

_After another long stretch of quiet, the Uchiha finally answered. "I promised. When I first came here, Nii-san told me that if I got strong enough, then I'd be able to come home. I… I want to see my brother again, Naruto. Not just for a few minutes, but… I want to be able to sit down and talk to Itachi without wondering if this visit is the one that gets him caught, if this time, coming to see me gets him killed. Maybe even see my mom and dad." _

_By this time, Naruto's mouth was hanging open in surprise. It wasn't often that Sasuke actually opened up about his thoughts, much less his feelings. "Oh. Well… Tell you what, if you promise to stop before you pass out, then I'll help, okay?" _:

-

The two girls breathed a sigh of relief, each hefting the heavy bag higher on her shoulder as one called out softly. "It's me, Tetsu. Momo-chan's with me too. We've got the latest gift for you guys. Sensei should have told you we were coming."

They waited, and a moment later – once the pair was allowed to step past the genjutsu's boundaries – Tenten smiled at the two ten-year-olds manning the traps. "Thanks. So, what's been going on?"

One of the two boys grinned. "Oh, you missed it. The Shinzui put the new guy, Asuma-san, through the wringer. We just got word – he looks like a burnt chicken!" The four laughed at that, Tenten trying to imagine what a burnt-chicken-shinobi might look like.

She waved at the pair as the girls moved on down the corridor, a smile lighting up her face. She grinned at her partner. "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?"

The medical trainee smiled back, albeit thinly. "Just a little nervous, I guess. I've met Sensei, you and Hana-san, but this is the first time I'll be meeting the others. And, um, what's the Shinzui?"

Tenten laughed. "It's exactly what the name means. 'Core' or 'essentials'. They're Sensei's first kids, the main group that is in charge if he's out or something. They're the most skilled, and the most trusted, of the Sanctuary group. Well, except for Akai and Hana, but that doesn't really count, because they're not here most of the time. They're cool, though. Don't worry, you'll be fine."

By the time the girls reached the main common area, Sakura had relaxed – especially as they could hear occasional soft snickers coming from the room ahead of them. As they stepped past the partitioning curtain, Sakura bit her lip to stop herself from laughing at the feather-covered man that she assumed was Asuma-san.

Tenten caught Iruka's eye, hefting her bag before pulling out three envelopes and setting the bag on the ground. "Weapons, Sensei. And reports from the others outside. My report's in there, too. I'm going to take these letters to Sasuke-kun, Kiba-kun and Hinata-chan, okay?"

And before she stepped out, the teenager smiled over at Asuma. "By the way, _love_ the fashion statement."

Iruka doubled over laughing again, and the two girls raced down the hall, giggling as they went.

-

He reached up, placing his papers exactly in their proper folder before glancing behind him. His voice was bland, the tone utterly uninterested as he spoke. "Permission to further research that particular brand of toxin, in order to better anticipate possible effects during subsequent missions?"

The ROOT Archive liaison rolled her eyes where she thought that he could not see her, but waved a hand as she answered. "Fine. Go ahead." After all, the man had proven himself trustworthy over and over, with never a hint of disloyalty. "Although I think that you're being overly cautious – again."

"I do not believe that it is possible to be too prepared for a mission, Maeko-san."

"I have other business to attend to, so behave yourself. And enjoy."

Itachi spent three full minutes after the woman walked away researching a very specific poison – and ensuring that he was not under observation. Once certain that he was, indeed, alone, he moved quickly to another area of the Archives. Sharingan eyes fully activated – to memorize, avoid others and, if needed, cast a fast, firm genjutsu – he returned to a file he had stumbled across months earlier, but had never had the opportunity to remain in the Archives long enough to decipher.

It took precisely two minutes and eight seconds to decipher the code used to encrypt the seemingly innocuous document, and another forty-two seconds to memorize the contents. ¼ of the way through, red eyes widened slightly before quickly returning to their task.

Six minutes and seventeen seconds after he first entered, a black-eyed Itachi nodded politely to the liaison as he passed her in the hall. His expression was the same passive stoicism he normally wore, but his mind was racing.

'_Iruka needs to know about this'_ he thought. _'This is… appalling.'_ As his feet returned him to his squad room, his mind played over the reports of the latest 'training exercise' ROOT had run with its cadets. And the prisoners used for it.

-

The three men leaned in close, their voices growing lower until a fourth voice spoke up from another room. "Speak _up_, you three – or I'll have to come in there myself, and you _don't_ want that."

Three pairs of eyes went wide, and three voices quickly raised and repeated the last thing said. "Um, like I said, I've put together all of the pieces that I could gather from rumors. And I think that Shika was right, the –"

A clang of metal cut Inoichi off, making all three men flinch as Yoshino leaned out of the kitchen. "Of _course_ he's right. My boy's brilliant." Her voice dropped into a mutter. "Though he might be _brain-damaged _when I get a hold of him… just vanishing like that! Honestly! He could have at least told us he was getting into such a thing."

Chouza and Inoichi both gave Shikaku a worried look – once Yoshino had returned to the kitchen, of course – and the darker man just shrugged helplessly. "Anyway," Inoichi continued, "there have been a few times that kids have just vanished right before ROOT was supposed to take them. And there-"

This time, it was Shikaku's raised hand that cut off the blond. A flick of the eyes towards the door let the others know that his shadows had informed him of someone's approach. All four ex-shinobi immediately took up a random thread of harmless conversation as the doorknob rattled.

They all breathed a silent sigh of relief when the door swung open only to show Inoichi's daughter shrugging off her backpack. And then looking at them in confusion. "Um, hi. Not that I'm not glad to see you or anything, but why are you guys here?"

Yoshino shrugged it off. "Ah, you know men. My husband here _had_ to have his little get-together, so I thought that I'd save you from another night of male cooking or takeout while you had to be stuck with the three of them."

As expected, the pre-teen laughed at the barely-veiled insult, though it lacked her usual brightness. "Tough day, princess?"

The girl grinned. "Kind of. Yuya-sensei doesn't think that we're balanced enough in some of our moves, so the whole squad spent most of the day walking wires. And in the 'invisible chair' if one of us messed it up. So yeah, I'm a little sore. It'll be worth it, though – I'll be a great kunoichi, you'll see. For now, though, I'm going to soak away the stiffness. Later, dad. Later, Aunt Yoshino, Uncle Shi, Uncle Chou."

Yoshino called after the girl. "Don't soak too long, Ino-chan." A fuzzy "okay" showed that Ino had heard, and all four adults shared a look once they heard her door close. They couldn't keep talking with the girl in the house – not that they didn't trust Ino, but in their minds, she was still a child – so they settled into less dangerous planning. Namely, supper.

-

Neji moved softly, as was usual in the Hyuuga house. But this night he moved more softly than was his habit. His mind lightly tickled over many different things, lingering longest on whether or not Tenten had managed to reach Sanctuary without being tracked or captured, and the cause of the day's somber air.

Opening the door to his and his father's wing, he was unsurprised to find Hizashi sitting at the table, staring sadly into his tea. Hiashi must have tired of his company already. Not uncommon, not on this date.

Hizashi flicked his gaze deliberately in acknowledgment as his son sat across from him and poured himself a small cup of the brew. "How is he?" the teenager finally asked.

Hizashi shrugged one shoulder. "Saddened, guilty, the usual. Can you blame him? On the anniversary of his first horrific loss in this new regime?"

Neji shook his head softly, fighting to keep his eyes from betraying him as his father nearly whispered the next words. "I can't imagine… losing two children, and not even being able to bury the bodies…"

* * *

**A/N 2:** For anyone who doesn't know, the 'invisible chair' is when you crouch flat-footed on the floor, keep your back as straight as possible, and balance something like a broom handle on the tops of your thighs - without shifting position, letting it roll off your knees or rest against your stomach. If you think it would be easy... just try it. You'll be hurting after just a few seconds unless you're in very good shape.


	21. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Gyah! _*collapses*_ I've FINALLY gotten the chance to write this chapter! I'm so sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long, but real life has been insane. I've had two papers, three assignments and a test. Plus work and a car wreck. My poor little car is totaled! *_cries_* Anyway, thank you again to everyone who reviewed - it really helped to be swamped and panicking, and then have this little e-mail pop up that said someone liked something I did. Those folks are: **iNsAnE nO bAkA, Rangerfan58, Julieanna333, Antimatterannihilation, Auphora66, CrystalHeaven, WhyMustIWrite, Juniperbreezie, sadisticmasochist kitsune** and **x-smith.**

Special notes to: **Ruminate** - You aren't out of line, there WAS an inconsistency. I thank you for pointing it out, and have since fixed it.

**singing ferret** - Your timeline is basically right, though Iruka got Sasuke before Hinata. And I made a mistake saying that Itachi found Hinata, though I've fixed it now. As for Kakashi's team, Bear was a typo (also fixed now). And, um, I actually haven't given them identities outside of ANBU. I gave Spider a name and a clan (Eisen of the Aburame clan - the clan is important later) but that's about it.

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (shortened to 'Momo' for Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and shinzui means core or essentials.

**

* * *

**: _The little girl peeked shyly from behind the legs of the scarred young shinobi, letting out a soft squeak and ducking back again when she found two pairs of eyes peering back at her. _

_One of the boys turned confused eyes up to her savior. "Who's she, Sensei?" _

_The young man chuckled, crouching down to coax the trembling child out from behind him. "This is Hinata-chan, boys. Hinata-chan, this is Naruto-chan and Sasuke-chan." _

_The little boys waved as their names were called, the little blond giving her a wide grin while the other nodded a bit more hesitantly. "Hi, Hina-chan!" the blond one, Naruto-chan, called. "Are you gonna stay with us now? You wanna come play? C'mon, I'll show you 'round. We'll help you be not lost no more." _

"_Not lost __**any**__ more, Naru-chan." Sensei corrected. _

_The blond stuck out his tongue, even as the darker haired boy stepped up to her, his eyes serious. "It can get dark down here, and be scary. But we won't let it hurt you, okay Hinata-chan?" Even as the boy nodded, the other nearly shouted his agreement. _

_Looking around at the little group, Hinata smiled just a bit through her fear. __**'Maybe'**__ she thought, hesitantly. __**'Maybe… it'll be okay?'**_ :

-

The children chatted enthusiastically, in varying degrees of relaxation as they studied the papers spread in the center of their ring. Every now and then, one of the pre-teens would catch sight of Asuma and snicker, still giddy over their 'defeat' of the Jounin the day before.

Shikamaru, despite the grin tugging at his lips, rolled his eyes as he tried yet again to explain to Naruto exactly _why_ his report had been graded as low as it had.

The blond just couldn't seem to understand that his teammates didn't have his abundant stores of chakra, and therefore wouldn't be able to do some of the things that the Kyuubi's energy allowed him to accomplish.

'_And didn't Kakashi freak when he found out that we knew about __**that**__ little piece of information.'_ The shadow-user thought. _'Don't know why he thought we wouldn't – Naruto has lived way too closely with these kids most of his life for them __**not**__ to notice that something was different about him. Since they knew Naruto, they didn't react too much when Sensei explained it – and once it was common knowledge here, no one thought anything about mentioning it in front of us outside kids. And since they accepted it, we got over it pretty fast.'_

His train of thought was cut off as a soft, low whistle split the air. Each of the group stopped, looking over at the entrance to the common room. Naruto didn't stop talking, but he did switch conversation topics. "I didn't think that anyone was supposed to be coming in today. Did I miss something?"

Heads shook all around the circle as each of the friends denied the possibility. "I hope nothing has gone wrong…" Hinata murmured, worry coloring her voice.

A moment later, and the silhouette of a man appeared in the doorway. They all relaxed, and Sasuke's eyes lit up as he recognized his brother's form. Itachi's rare visits were usually unannounced, since the older Uchiha brother was never able to be sure of when he would be able to get away without being observed.

Sasuke scrambled to his feet, surprise robbing him of his usual grace, but he slowed after only a few steps. The group looked at the boy, worry beginning to rise as they took in the slight confusion and concern on Sasuke's face as he looked at his brother.

Itachi, for his part, barely glanced over at the boy. His face was calm, his eyes level – but his shoulders were tense, his spine nearly rigid. Something was wrong.

Across the room, Iruka stood quickly, gesturing the two Jounin back when they would have gone with him. He crossed to the teenaged ANBU captain's side, snatching up two cups of hot tea and ushering the young man into a side room.

The kids spent one moment looking at one another, and then split up to gather their respective weaponry. Just in case.

-

Iruka pushed to stoic young man into his own quarters, locking the door behind him before turning to face the teenager. "Are you alright?" were the first words to leave the teacher's mouth. Once the other man nodded, then the next words were "Is it an emergency?"

Itachi made a slight negative gesture, but Iruka cut him off before he could speak. The teacher pushed one of the cups into the captain's hands, speaking more softly now that he was sure there wasn't a need for immediate action. "Sit down, Itachi – you're far too tense. If it can wait, then drink your tea and let it wait."

The younger man's eyes narrowed slightly, but he sat as ordered. He did not, however, drink. "Iruka, I have discovered a… disturbing matter, and have been attempting to –"

'_Whap'._ The soft smack to the back of his head cut off the ANBU captain's words, causing him to blink twice in surprise. And then a slight, wry smile twitched at his lips. His next words were spoken in a very dry, but slightly bemused tone. "All right, how am I being stupid this time?"

Iruka sat himself down beside the younger man, savoring a sip of his tea before he answered. "Itachi, you are a very bright young man. You are a very skilled shinobi, and are probably more observant then I'll ever be. You know that I respect that."

One of Itachi's brows rose as the older man continued. "_But_. You are eighteen years old, and while I know this is hard for you to understand, you are actually _not_ single-handedly responsible for Konoha, or even this group. So sit down, close your eyes, drink your tea and relax a little. Stop trying to do everything yourself. You can't. Deal with it."

A few more surprised blinks, a sip or two of tea, and Itachi opened his mouth again – only to be cut off by a hard look. "I-_tachi_." The warning tone in the teacher's voice was enough to make the younger man think twice about disobeying.

Itachi vaguely entertained the thought that Iruka could teach some of his fellow ANBU captains a thing or two about controlling one's squad. But mostly, the younger partner settled back and closed his eyes, allowing his usually busy mind to empty.

He savored the taste of his tea, and more importantly, the company of someone who never expected perfection from him. Slowly, a tiny bit at a time, the tension drained out of his back and shoulders, leaving the younger man feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from him.

Finally black eyes opened, and a small but honest smile graced thin lips. "Thank you" he nearly murmured. "I keep forgetting that I need that sometimes."

Iruka simply inclined his head slightly, taking in the new posture and deciding that it was enough. "That's what friends are for. I'm going to call the others now, alright?" A definitive nod was his reply.

A moment later and Iruka had summoned the two resident Jounin into the room. "Now, what's going on?" Itachi had straightened slightly, as had Iruka. Each man now in their shinobi mindset, Itachi began what was essentially a mission report.

-

"Danzo-sama, the shinobi of the western sector are beginning to watch the operatives assigned to that area's search more carefully, and are questioning among themselves the reason for such activity."

Danzo frowned at the boy's words, thinking for a long moment before he responded. "Then pull the operatives out. We'll have to wait a few months before resuming activity in that sector."

A slight hesitation on the boy's part, and the Hokage spoke again. "You wonder why we pull out if we believe that there may be a clue about the rebels, do you not, Sai?"

If the boy had been less well trained he would have flushed in embarrassment. "Somewhat, Danzo-sama."

"Do you remember what I told you a few weeks ago?"

"Yes, Danzo-sama. We must be careful not to allow the public to discover the existence of the rebels."

The man finally turned and looked at the boy. "And what does this tell you?"

Sai hesitated, but then he continued. "If I might guess… Even though we know that they exist, the rebels are only an irritation to us. Even if it takes us another eight years to find and eradicate them, it is far more important that we do not raise the people's suspicion by searching too carefully. So essentially, the rebels can be tolerated as long as they remain low-key."

Danzo allowed a rare nod of approval as a reward for the boy's shrewdness. "Correct. Now go, we cannot afford to have the people looking too closely at our search. If they discovered what we seek, it would be disastrous for us."

-

"…and while I am aware that we are not in a position to aid those already incarcerated, I could not allow this discovery to pass un-remarked upon."

One pair of serious eyes met two pairs of shocked and angry ones, followed by one pair of thoughtful eyes.

"You've been rescuing children from under guard, though most of those haven't been actual ROOT operatives. But still…" Kakashi paused for a moment, but then resumed his train of thought. "Could we warn those who are in danger? Somehow let them know that they're being watched?"

"Hm, maybe. It'd be risky, but…"

Asuma broke in as Iruka trailed off. "We could probably use the mail system. Wouldn't even have to go to a post office – a lot of folks would put the letter in the mail if they found it already stamped and addressed but lying on the ground."

And so, they continued to form rough potential plans even after Itachi had to make his excuses and return topside.


	22. Chapter 20

**A/N:** *mumbles pitifully* It has to end _sometime_, doesn't it? Okay, seriously. I could probably stretch out some of these training scenes, make them take up a few chapters, but I've already taken up five - now six - chapters with training. So this one is going to occur over a little under a year's time. After that I'm going to start picking up the pace again. Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed: **gman391, iNsAnE nO bAkA, WhyMustIWrite, Julieanna333, Harvey, Auphora66, x-smith, Rangerfan58** and **Tara La'Quinn.** It's always nice to hear from readers, and it was really touching to have so many of you ask if I was okay after I mentioned my car wreck.

**singing ferret** - sometimes I don't know whether to hug you or hate you. On one hand, you bring up things that I hadn't thought about. On the other hand - you're making it even _more_ complicated than it already was! I was already trying to find something to do with Anko, and now you've dragged Ibiki into it!

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (shortened to 'Momo' for Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and shinzui means core or essentials.

**Special Note:** One of my readers, **Sinister Negra**, liked this story so much that she's translating it into Portuguese! *_squeals and bounces_* It's so exciting to see my little story in another language! That's one that's going to create a warm fuzzy feeling for a _long_ time. *_is still giddy_* Oh, so if you spot her title, she has my permission to translate, so don't report her. ^_^;

* * *

: _The children mumbled greetings, small voices dull with early morning sleepiness as they approached the classroom where their lesson was to begin. _

_Once the five and six year olds were seated before him, Iruka gave them all a distinctly challenging smile. "All right, guys. Today's lesson is going to be a little different – we're going to play a game." _

_The kids perked up a bit at that, especially Naruto. "The game is hide and seek. It's going to be limited to the three closest rooms, with no rules on where or how you hide – and you're all it." And with those words, the teacher vanished in a small puff of smoke. _

_The kids sat still for an instant, blinking a few times in surprise. And then grins spread across their faces as they jumped up, spreading out and calling bets and boasts and playful insults. _

_Three hours later, and even Lee and Naruto had given up. The kids sat in a circle on the floor, two of them quiet and the other three grumbling in disappointment. A soft sound, another puff of smoke – and Iruka stood where a cabinet door had been only a moment ago. _

_This, naturally, raised instant protest from the boys. "No fair, Sensei!" Naruto cried. "How're we s'pose to find you there?" _

_Iruka simply shook his head before he answered. "If you had been paying attention, you would have noticed that the cabinet didn't have the door on when you came in. But after I hid, it had one. Most enemies won't be so obvious, so a shinobi has to be aware of every little thing around him. For example – what color is the vase on my desk? Don't turn around!" _

_After a moment of fidgeting, Hinata spoke up. "I… think it's… blue?" _

_He smiled at her. "Close, Hina-chan. It's purple. But that's the basis of your next lesson plan. You're going to learn what is probably __**the**__ most important skill a shinobi has – observation. You all know how to __**look**__. Now you have to learn to __**see**__." _:

-

"Okay, kids. We're going to work on something _very_ important. We're going to work on your observational skills."

Kiba scoffed. "We already have those. We don't need to work on them. We can see just fine."

Asuma shook his head. "No, Kiba-kun. This is a different kind of looking than you're used to. This is to teach you to pay attention to the details, the little things like-"

Sasuke interrupted. "There are four steps in the cistern room – without counting the landing. The mat on the common room floor used to be blue, but now it's sort of grey. Kakashi-sensei hurt his right shoulder at-"

"Whoa, wait a minute. What makes you think that Kakashi hurt his shoulder?"

The kids looked at him almost pityingly. Finally Hinata took it upon herself to explain. "His right sleeve rides higher on his wrist than the left, Asuma-sensei. It's every shirt, so it's not just his jacket. He moves it fine, so it's not something that was permanently damaged. But at some point, he hurt his shoulder or his neck badly enough that it became habit to keep that shoulder raised just a touch higher than the left one."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "We're not blind. Or stupid, either."

Asuma blinked. "Oh, well… I guess we can skip that lesson."

-

A sharp rapping noise sounded throughout the apartment, waking the man inside from a rare sound sleep. Ebisu snatched up his kunai, quickly searching for and finding the source of the sound. He blinked in slight disbelief upon pulling aside the curtain on his kitchen window and finding an owl sitting on the sill. And then he noticed the note attached to the bird's leg.

Quickly opening the window, the Chunin untied the parchment. The bird immediately flew away. His face paled when he read the short message. _'Be careful – ROOT is watching you.'_

Three blocks away, Kin opened her eyes to give Chairo a bright smile and a thumbs-up sign.

-

Kiba grumbled slightly as he trudged down the hall. "I don't get it, Akamaru. How come you and me are the only ones who have to come today?"

A strange voice answered "easy", causing Kiba to drop into a fighting stance. And then blink in surprise as he took in the sight of eight dogs ranged around Kakashi.

The smallest of the pack spoke again. "Because you're the only one in your group who works with a nin-dog."

Kakashi nodded. "Yep, you're going to learn how to really fight as a team with Akamaru. Hope you're ready for a work-out, because it's going to be a long day."

-

Yoshino watched her latest customer from the corner of her eye as she absently cleaned glasses. So far, she had lasted five months as barkeeper – a record for the hot-tempered ex-kunoichi.

She had seen almost as many different kinds of people as she had seen on missions, and heard more than she wanted about people's troubles under the Godaime's regime.

But this man was different. Yes, there was the typical worry and grief, but also… there was an almost awed wonder in the Chunin's eyes.

So, her curiosity piqued, she did what good barkeepers the world over are known for. She steadily supplied the man with alcohol, keeping the younger man just a little distracted so that he wouldn't realize just how much he was drinking. And kept an ear open for when his mumbling shifted closer to what she wanted to know.

Finally, when the man's words were slurring ever so slightly, she outright asked. The man blinked at her, his gaze just a little unfocussed. "They warned me, back then." he mumbled. "They sent me a letter, said ROOT was watching me. So I straightened up, was careful. And after two months, I got a raise… guess I'm okay again. They saved my butt."

Yoshino's eyes widened as she immediately realized who 'they' must be. _'Oh, shit'_ she thought. '_I should __**not**__ have gotten him drunk. Who'd have thought that Ebisu'd be a chatty drunk?'_

-

Tenten scowled, irritated as she ran out of weapons. She jumped back, light on her feet as she ducked under one of Neji's sharp strikes. Dropping into a left roll, she snatched up a pair of kunai, flinging one at the other teen and making sure to keep the other on hand.

After another five minutes or so, the sparring match finally ended. On the sidelines, Sakura applauded softly even as she jumped down to begin her own match against the powerful Hyuuga teen. She was getting better by the day, but she still wasn't nearly a match for Neji.

Though as the two girls stood side by side, sipping water as they cooled down, the young medic asked Tenten an interesting question. "Ten-chan, I was just wondering… have you ever worked with summoning scrolls?"

The older girl blinked at the question, but shook her head. "No, why? Are you interested in summoning? Hana'd probably be the better one to ask about that."

Sakura shook her head, her expression still thoughtful. "Actually, I was thinking about for you. Hana-san mentioned that some people use them to summon animals, but that she had known some shinobi who used them to store other scrolls. I was just wondering if you could store weapons that way."

Tenten's own expression turned thoughtful, and just a bit eager. "Actually, that's not a bad idea… It would let me carry more weapons without weighing me down… Sakura-chan, you're brilliant!"

The younger girl flushed with pride as the older one gave her an impulsive hug, and then raced off to find the older – and official – kunoichi.

-

Like any good Clan leader, Shikaku kept an eye on his family. So when they had problems that they couldn't solve themselves, many of those family members came to him for help. And others came to vent.

One young kunoichi, whom he knew had been having problems in the mission office because of her ideals, was nearly in frustrated tears when she came to him that evening. "It's just not _right_, Shikaku-sama! _Why_ do they do this? Aren't shinobi supposed to _protect_ the people? How can we justify treating our own Village like this? I… I don't know if I can take this anymore!"

Of course, like any good leader, he tried to calm the girl, to reassure her that it wasn't as bad as it seemed – even though he personally disagreed with his own words. But she would not be consoled. He grew concerned when she made the comment that "maybe those who went missing-nin had the right idea."

He eyed the young woman carefully, weighing what he knew about her, allowing his brilliant mind to use long-neglected analytical and tactical skills. Finally he reached a decision. "Chizuru-san, just hold on. Don't do anything rash. It will get better."

"And how do you know that, Shikaku-sama?" she muttered, a tinge of bitterness lacing her voice. "Do you have a crystal ball or something?"

He took a deep breath. "No. But I do know that there are people out there who are building up to fight against ROOT on behalf of Konoha's people."

The young woman's eyes widened in surprise, and then brightened. "Ooh… Can I help?"

He smiled at her. "I don't see why not – when the time comes."

-

'_Plip' _"GYAH!"_ 'Splash!'_ Asuma ducked his head, torn between an amused snicker and an exasperated sigh as Naruto fell into the water. Again. The water logged blond swam over to the edge of the cistern, climbing out and shaking himself, drenching those closest to him.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata's quiet scolding only got a slightly apologetic grin from the boy.

"Sorry, Hina-chan. Not my fault, though – I'd have had it if that stupid fish hadn't jumped up right in my face. Blasted thing smacked my nose." The boy wrinkled said nose, rubbing at the offended appendage as he fought a sneeze.

Asuma's lips twitched. Lee flat out laughed – and promptly fell into the water himself. Sasuke rolled his eyes, tapping one foot impatiently as he rode out the waves from the pair's disruption.

Asuma couldn't help but wonder if Kakashi had this much trouble with the rest of the Shinzui when he brought them out there earlier that day. A few seconds later, and another shout indicated that one of the two boys had fallen in yet again.

Hinata stumbled over her words as she activated her Byakugon to try and help her friends understand where they were going wrong.

Asuma just sighed.

-

In a large, dark room, a gathering was held in the depth of the night. The individuals who convened spoke quietly among themselves until, with one upraised hand, the leader called the meeting to order.

One man, his expression as blank as his voice, spoke up. "I have been monitoring the Southern sector from 1st to 8th Avenue, and 32nd to 39th Street. I have noted a distinct pattern in the comings and goings of a certain child. I believe that this child warrants further observation."

A round of discussion, surprisingly quiet and civil, followed the man's report. Finally a consensus was reached. "Very well." The leader stated. "I will assign one of our own to watch this child specifically. Any other business to discuss?"

There was, of course, but it was all routine things that took up little time.

A little over an hour later, and the leader sought out a specific individual. The boy, barely in his teens, looked up as the man stopped in front of him. "I have a mission for you."

-

Over the year that she had been training under Hana, the pair had discovered that not only did Sakura possess an aptitude for healing, but she had an impressive physical strength when angered. This caused an intensified taijutsu training regiment, focusing on the offensive style favored by the Inuzuka clan.

Throughout the course of her training, there were times that Sakura became frustrated, even reduced to tears by her inability to grasp a concept or move.

And then there were times when Hana smiled, reaching out to ruffle the young medic's hair. That was when Sakura thought that she had done well.

But every once in a while, the older teen's Clan heritage would shine through. Her smile would be too wide, showing too many teeth as her eyes sparkled with barely suppressed excitement. That was when Sakura _knew_ she had done well.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Before anyone mentions it, yes I'm aware that Ebisu isn't a Chunin in canon. But from what I understand, he was a Special Jounin whose skill was teaching children. In Danzo's regime, that wouldn't be allowed, therefore he wouldn't have been promoted to Jounin.


	23. Chapter 21

**A/N:** And the training is over - mostly. On with the plot! Thanks again to those who review, which in the last chapter was: **sky-sun-neighbor, Tara La'Quinn, az89, Rangerfan58, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Julieanna333, Antimatterannihilation, Auphora66, singing ferret, x-smith, ks, Harvey, Marz1** and **WhyMustIWrite**.

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

Asuma watched as gear was carefully checked, with the occasional adjusting of straps or rearrangement of weapons. The team tried not to fidget.

The teenage Sanctuary fighters finally stood back, varying degrees of pride and concern showing on their faces as they gave last minute advice. The torch was being passed – for the first time, the teens would _not_ be the ones leaving the safety of their home to go 'shopping'.

Sasuke and Shikamaru's faces were blank, but their eyes missed nothing as they took one last look over the younger children's preparations. Hinata chewed nervously on her lower lip, a small smile breaking through only to vanish again beneath her worry. In contrast, Naruto's smile kept slipping, his worry momentarily overtaking his pride in his comrades. Kiba scowled fiercely as he instructed the kids to not 'let anybody give you any shit'.

Finally Asuma stepped forward, he and Iruka ushering the five children down the corridor. Standing inside the safe zone, the little Hyuuga girl, Hanabi, activated her Byakugon and slowly scanned for possible witnesses.

When the eight year old gestured, the six moved quietly into the darkened streets.

-

The four met again, gathering as old friends often do for supper and idle chit-chat while their children were out with teachers or teammates. At least, that was how it appeared should anyone observe them through the windows.

In reality, their smiles and relaxed posture masked both great excitement and terrible nerves. After all, while none of the ex-Jounin were strangers to infiltration, it was another thing entirely to be planning treason within one's own Village.

As usual, Inoichi and Chouza reported first, detailing lists of those few trusted with the knowledge of the shadow resistance as well as passing along any rumors gathered between meetings. As Shikaku quietly began to assimilate these details and form strategies that included them, Yoshino gave the other two men the Nara's report.

Each of those involved in the burgeoning plot were discreetly – or not so discreetly, if they had reasonable excuses – training, slowly rebuilding atrophied muscles and polishing long-unused skills. They also slowly gathered weapons, particularly those like Inoichi and Chouza, who could claim to be buying them for their Genin children.

The former Leaf shinobi were determined – when the rebels were finally ready to strike, they would be right behind them.

-

The children froze, wide eyed as the alarm sounded in the night air. And then they broke, bolting for their escape route as they caught sight of three shinobi – ANBU judging from the paleness where their faces should be – moving quickly towards them.

A glance, a nod, and Iruka pulled ahead as Asuma dropped back, both men prepared to defend. And then the three were upon them. As in years gone by, time slowed and senses sharpened as Asuma engaged in battle. Iruka dropped back, engaging in one ANBU as Asuma engaged the other two, both men fighting to shield the children running before them.

Asuma ducked under a hook kick, cursing as he was forced to stumble back in order to avoid a knife to the face. Three enemies, one ally and four rookie children. Not good odds.

-

People shook their heads as the couple passed by, the young woman clinging to the arm of the older man as she giggled. He caught her when she stumbled, his white hair briefly tangling with her darker locks. Women muttered amongst themselves about old men taking advantage of drunken girls, while their men mentally congratulated the man on his catch.

The pair made their way into a small house on the outskirts of town, closing the front door and finding themselves face to face with a severely scarred man. The pair instantly straightened and broke apart. "What do you want here?" the house's occupant questioned the man, his voice deep and low.

The white haired man replied. "I know that you're keeping tabs on Konoha. I wanted to compare what your people and mine have been saying, maybe get your opinion on some of the rumors going around. That alright, Ibiki?"

The scarred man nodded once. Jiriaya grinned – and then winced as the back of his head was suddenly introduced to Anko's booted foot.

"Just stop staring at my chest while you talk, you pervert!" Her voice dropped into a low, vicious mutter. "Honestly, the things I do to maintain cover…"

-

A fast glance showed Iruka barely holding his own, the clever use of his surroundings and a few unorthodox maneuvers the only things keeping him alive at the moment. The Chunin was very good, but not a match for ANBU in close range combat.

Asuma formed a quick wind jutsu, knocking one of his enemies a few feet back. He faked a stumble, trying to lure in the second ANBU – and heard a small voice cry out in fear-laced determination.

He snapped his head around just in time to see the Hyuuga girl come around the corner, flinging kunai at the man closing in on him. The weapons were effortlessly blocked – by the one Asuma had shoved back.

The man went after the small girl, and all of Asuma's experience told him with horrifying certainty that there was no way he could get past his opponent and save the child. But maybe… three quick seals and a strong fire jutsu billowed out – towards Iruka's opponent.

As the man jumped back, the Chunin took advantage of the opening to dart to the side, snatching Hanabi out of range of what would have been a lethal strike – and catching a blade in the side. The teacher did well – he grit his teeth and hissed with the slash, but formed seals for a familiar jutsu.

With a quick scan to make sure that none of the other children had remained behind, Asuma followed the younger man's example and teleported out.

-

Back at ANBU Headquarters, three shinobi paid obvious attention to the radio report of a six-man group spotted past curfew. Along with the battle and subsequent chase. Hare looked over at her teammates. "Guys, isn't that around where…?"

Drake nodded. "Yeah, it is. …You don't think…?"

As the report came in that the other team lost their target's trail, Boar finished the partial conversation. "We may need to keep an eye on that sector."

In a far corner of the room, black eyes narrowed. Itachi silently wondered which of his friends had been injured, and how badly.

-

After a hair-raising game of tag, the trio finally lost their pursuers. As they appeared in an alleyway, Iruka stumbled and would have fallen to his knees if Asuma hadn't caught him.

Hanabi was clearly horrified, tears streaking down a face that was nearly as white as her teacher's. Asuma spared the girl enough of a glance to assure himself that she wasn't going into shock, and turned his attention to the Chunin's injury.

He bit back a curse as he eyed the amount of blood soaking the smaller man's clothes, quickly digging out his medical supplies to make a better bandage than the hasty wrap Iruka had slapped on it as they ran. One minute later, and a makeshift pressure bandage was tied firmly around the Chunin's side.

But the man was still pale, his eyes trying to unfocus and his hands trembling with blood loss. He needed a medic.

-

Sakura kissed her mother, bidding her parents goodnight before she retired to bed. She closed the door to her room, a tired smile on her face as she paused. And then spun around, the slight touch of chakra setting off her alarms.

"Momoiro." The man who stepped out of the shadows near her window was tall, masked… and familiar.

Sakura relaxed as sight, chakra and the man's own words identified him. "Kakashi-san, what are you doing here?"

"Shiro-san is unavailable" – Sakura knew the older teen had been sent out to one of ROOT's outposts to treat an illness in their messenger birds – "and we need a medic. Badly."

Her heart skipping a beat, Sakura stumbled over her words – but not her movements. "L-let me grab my things."

-

Sai listened patiently, no expression on his face as the ANBU agent finished reporting on the disturbance.

Apparently, two hours ago a civilian couple had knocked on their teenager daughter's door, only to discover the girl missing. They had, naturally, become concerned and called for aid in finding the girl. Once the agent had stopped speaking, Sai asked one question. "Could the parents be involved?"

The agent shook his head. "No, sir. Their chakra, their body language and their eyes all show the same thing. They are truly confused and frightened over their child's disappearance. As far as her parents know, Haruno, Sakura has vanished without a trace."

When the couple looked his way, Sai tried to form the smile that he had heard was comforting to others, though he noted with detached interest that the pair flinched slightly at the sight. "Interesting."

-

The corridor, for all it was tightly packed, was strangely silent. The only sounds were the muted sobbing of one small girl as she cried into her sister's shirt. Hinata held the child close, fighting her own tears as the entirety of Sanctuary's residents waited with baited breath for the emergence of one pink-haired medic.

Most of the children and teenagers sat quietly, varying degrees of shock and fear in their expressions. Even the two Jounin leaned against the walls, both men utterly still as they awaited the verdict. Iruka had lost consciousness on the way home, and his children were terrified.

Finally the door opened, and a clearly exhausted Sakura stepped out, her chin down and her feet dragging. But she looked up at the gathered crowd, and she smiled.

-

One word. "No".

Jiriaya closed his mouth in surprise, the words momentarily dying in his throat. "What do you mean, no? You haven't even heard my proposition yet."

"Doesn't matter. No. Whatever it is, I won't do it."

The Toad Sage cast about for a moment, thrown by the abrupt refusal. And then his eyes lit up, and he reached down to pick up a small box. As he slid the cards out into his hand, his face took on a sly smirk. "Tell you what, let's make a bet. Three out of five games and whoever loses has to do the winner a favor – anything they ask." His smirk broadened.

"What do you say, Tsunade?"


	24. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Would you believe that I wrote this in a few hours? I would have uploaded it earlier, but ff net kept giving me problems. *glares at ff net*. Anyway, thank you to my reviewers:** iNsAnE nO bAkA, Julieanna333, Rangerfan58, Tara La'Quinn, sadisticmaochist kitsune, AZ89, Auphora66, singing ferret, Marz1** and **i8ursocks_ha**.

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

: _Iruka moved quickly, quietly, all the while keeping a careful eye on the children trailing behind him. Tonight was busy – some sort of forced retiring of Jounin level shinobi, he had heard – and ROOT was occupied with collecting weapons and such from the Leaf shinobi. The idea of it made him feel sick, but it was the perfect opportunity. _

_Firmly pushing away his own sense of shame and the nagging feeling that he was betraying his Village, he led his children through the various streets and tunnels, getting them close enough that they could finally make a break and leave Konoha behind. It was best that way, safest for his kids – though it broke his heart. _

_He finally turned back to his kids, quietly explaining the plan. A few more steps, and then he heard Hinata's voice speak up in confusion. "Sasuke-kun? Aren't you coming?" _

_Turning back, he saw his charges looking back and forth in distress – and little Sasuke standing back, chin tipped down and small fists trembling at his sides. Iruka immediately moved to the child's side. "Sasuke-kun, what's wrong? Why are you standing back here?" _

_The boy clenched his jaw, screwing his eyes shut to try and fight the tears Iruka saw building there. "I… I'm n-not going!" the seven year old forced out. _

_Iruka felt his own jaw drop in shock. "What do you mean, not going? Why? Sasuke-kun, it isn't safe here. You know that, right?" _

_He reached out to put an arm around the child, who was now shaking all over, but Sasuke jerked back out of reach, his tears coloring his voice. "I k-know! But… But I'm not going. I-I'll __**make**__ it safe, so, so I can go home." _

_At this point, Iruka vaguely noticed Naruto's eyes light up with understanding, but his attention was on the boy in front of him as Sasuke nearly whispered his last words. "So we can all… go home." If Iruka's heart had been broken before, then it absolutely shattered at the sadness and longing in the child's voice. _

_Naruto, naturally, threw in his two cents. "Yeah, Sensei, he's right! We can't leave! If it's not safe for us, it's not safe for nobody else, right? You always say we've gotta watch out for each other, for our important people. But you said that the whole Village is a shinobi's precious people, so we can't just leave them!" _

_As Iruka stared in wonder, each of his children added their own protest. Kiba's jaw clenched, and he hugged Akamaru close as he nodded as fiercely as a small boy is capable of. "Yeah, we can't go. I can't see Onee-san enough anyways, and if I leave then I won't __**ever**__ see her!" _

_Hinata's voice, in contrast, was almost a whisper – but she DID speak. "My m-momma had her baby. I… I want to m-meet my little sister someday, and… I can't do that if I l-leave, Sensei." _

_Lee's expression was quickly becoming horrified, and he blurted out his thoughts as they occurred to him. "And, and what about me? I mean, the ones like me? Like I was? If we leave, who'll save them?!" _

_Iruka stared at his children, surprised and awed that they had taken his lessons so close to heart. He blinked away proud tears of his own as he spoke. "All right" he whispered around the lump in his throat. "You're right, everyone. …Let's go home."_

-

'_Four months'_ Sakura thought with a touch of both sadness and awe. _'It's been four months now since I left home, joining Sanctuary full time because ROOT was looking for me after I vanished. And now… now all the secrecy is almost over.'_

The teenage medic worked silently, her expression thoughtful as her hands worked automatically. And then she sneezed. _'Gyah! Of all the stupid reasons to miss a mission… I __**had**__ to catch a stupid cold – one of the few things medical jutsu __**can't **__cure!_'

The pink-haired girl scowled, her movements rougher as she pulled a box out of the storage racks and set it on the table. Opening it up, she continued to arrange her medical supplies so that she could reach anything she might need, and reach it quickly.

After all, Sanctuary had never attempted such a dangerous mission before. There was no telling what might come through that door. But even if she couldn't go on the mission itself, Sakura was more than ready to deal with the possible aftermath.

-

In a different sector of the Village, Neji bowed, his motions smooth and respectful as he took his leave from his father and uncle. "You will return in the morning, correct Neji?"

"Yes father." As he walked away, his face revealed nothing of his whirling thoughts. He, like Tenten with her own family, had gotten permission to spend the night with 'friends'. Probably, his father would assume, with his teammates getting in extra training while their sensei was away on his own mission. _'If only it were that harmless.'_ He thought, a shiver working its way down his spine.

'_I may not be going on the mission – too much chance of being found, it's too early – but that doesn't mean that I won't be in danger. We __**know**__ that ROOT isn't looking for us as hard as it could – we'd have been found years ago if it were truly treating us as enemies. Whether that means that they don't see us as important enough to search for, or have already found us and just not destroyed us… I suppose we will find out tonight.'_

-

Far from Konoha, Itachi fought a scowl. _'__**Damn**__ this!' _the teen thought, cold fear snaking its way into his gut. _'I am __**supposed**__ to be in place, to be able to provide support if something should go wrong during the mission. To be sent out __**now**__ of all times…'_

Try as he might, Itachi could not shake the worry gnawing at his heart and mind. After all, everything he valued was at risk tonight, and a large part of him was terrified that he would return to Konoha only to find that he had nothing left to come home to.

-

Back in Sanctuary, Iruka huffed out a breath, checking his gear one last time. He mentally reviewed the plan, detailing his teammate's objectives, abilities and weaknesses. A weak smile briefly flitted at his lips as he recalled the intense debate between the two Jounin, himself, Hana and Itachi.

Hana had been furious – she was to be training one of ROOT's agents in veterinary medicine for the next two months, and would be unable to assist in any way.

Itachi had been torn, wanting to aid them but knowing that the information he provided from within ANBU was extremely valuable. Eventually the young captain had settled for a backup position, keeping his cover until and unless he was needed.

What had really been the issue had been Iruka's own role. None of the other ranking shinobi had wanted the Chunin to go with the teams, and while he understood why, they had still needed a third adult. Iruka himself had largely remained quiet, knowing that the others had much more experience with this level of mission danger.

Finally, grudgingly, it had been decided that he would, in fact, lead one of the teams. It had been Hana who had finally, against her own instincts, pointed out that while the team was highly risky, he would at least have some support. It was a _team_, and would therefore be able to aid one another.

It was the decoy who, while initially in the least danger, needed to be the most skilled. Just in case the enemy caught up. Kakashi had quickly been nominated for that role, the argument being that if he was caught, he had the best chance of surviving without backup. But none of the others liked it.

Finally the clock reached one AM. Time to go.

-

Standing in the Sanctuary common room, Tenten smiled, masking her worry as she encouraged the mission team. She and Neji – and now Sakura, much to the young medic's annoyance – were responsible for guarding Sanctuary's entrances. Just on the chance that ROOT actually knew where they were, and came after them while the mission team was away. It was their job to protect the young ones, or to evacuate them if necessary.

'_Just in case'_ she thought, fingers running lightly over her new weapons scrolls. _'That seems to be all we've talked about lately – if this goes wrong, if that happens. But… what if it goes __**right**__? Then what?'_

-

In a quiet house in the western sector of Konoha, a woman knocked respectfully on a door. Receiving a summons inside, she bowed briefly before speaking. "We have received word from the observer you placed on the child. He reports that the child is uncomfortable, that the target attempted to find a way to leave home for the night, but was unable to do so. He believes that there will be something unusual occurring tonight, and wishes to pass along the message."

The man the kunoichi spoke to thought carefully for a moment, and then nodded slightly as he reached a decision. "Very well. Hotaru-san, relieve him of his watch for tonight. He will come with me, and we will watch for this event he believes will occur. He has earned that privilege."

The woman tipped her head in acknowledgement and agreement. Everyone involved knew how hard the boy had worked, how many long nights he had put into carefully studying his target. Her leader was right – if the boy's information proved correct, he deserved to be there to see it.

-

Under the new moon, Naruto glanced at the friends all around him. This was it, this was the big one. The mission that would prove whether or not Sanctuary truly had what it took to stand up to ROOT.

There was a very real chance that some or all of them might not come back, the adults had made that _very_ clear when they called the teens in to plan out the mission's details. There had been an initial meeting they were excluded from – probably to work out the adult's roles, Shikamaru had guessed – but most of the mission had been planned as a group, so he knew exactly what could go wrong.

He was scared, but also exhilarated – and he could see the same emotions on his comrades' faces. Naruto took a deep breath and gave a small wave as Kakashi-sensei split off from the rest of the group. Iruka-sensei took his team along a different street, intending to move in from a different position.

A few minutes later, and they were in place in position one. A soft signal, a count to twelve, and an alarm split the air – nine blocks away. The Sanctuary fighters hid, watching as a ROOT squad moved to investigate the disturbance. A few minutes later, and more squads moved to join the first as the target proved strong and difficult to capture.

The teenagers looked at Asuma-sensei and each other. According to Itachi, a number of ROOT squads had accompanied the Hokage to a meeting with the Fire Lord, and with Kakashi-sensei's distraction their target was as lightly guarded as it would ever be. It was now or never.

One last gesture from Asuma-sensei, and the group slipped towards their target on swift, silent feet.

* * *

**A/N 2: **To any Sakura fans reading this - I'm sorry! But I've had 2/3 of the next chapter written since about chapter 4, and I suddenly realized that she isn't in it. And I can't figure out a way to write her in. That's the trouble with so many characters - it's tough to find a place for them all. But I promise she WILL be part of the final battle. I won't just leaver her on the sidelines forever.


	25. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Um, okay. So help me I just can't seem to make the kids come out as powerful as they should be by now. Maybe because I can really only get an understanding of the weapons and taijutsu... I seem to have this tendency to completely forget about attack jutsu when I write battle scenes. Forgive me? Anyway, thank you to my reviewers: **Rangerfan58, x-smith, alana chantelune, liliki, AZ89, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Julieanna333** and **Auphora66.**

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

:_ Something woke her in the middle of the night. Not a sound or scent, nothing as tangible as that. It was a subtle thing, the slightest feeling of __**wrong**__ness in the air. But a tracking specialist – and a Jounin at that – was accustomed to picking up subtle traces. _

_Tsume slipped out of bed, gesturing Kuromaru to silence as she picked up the weapons brace on her nightstand. She moved on light feet, her first stop to check on her children. _

_Little Kiba was sleeping peacefully, his face still in the faint light of his nightlight. Like most four year olds, her son was afraid of the dark. Only for a while longer, though – once his little nose became sensitive in a year or so, he would be able to know for sure that there was nothing under his bed except his socks. _

_Down the hall, a light shone under the door, but Hana was not using it, the girl having fallen asleep with her textbook across her chest. Satisfied that her babies were safe, she signaled for Kuromaru to stay in the hallway between the two doors. The large nin-dog wagged his tail once in acknowledgement of the silent signal. __'Stay. Guard.'_

_Three minutes – and four signals exchanged with other clan members – later, and they found it. A young Chunin girl had signaled her, unsure if she had seen something or not. Tsume watched carefully, and after a moment discerned movement in the woods around her Clan's walls. _

_And then she spotted one of the figures at the base of the wall – on the inside. The figure stepped aside, clearly waiting for another. 'Not ANBU, then' she thought. 'ANBU would have used such secrecy, but would have come straight here. And they wouldn't have come in numbers.' _

_With a snarl, Tsume threw back her head and howled, the wild sound splitting the night. Within seconds, the entire Inuzuka Clan answered her, wide awake and fully armed. :_

-

Gai tensed, readying himself to spring as he heard the quiet thump outside of his cell door. A heartbeat later and he paused in confusion. The voice speaking quietly from outside the door was unusually young, but more importantly, gentle.

"I'm opening the door, please don't attack." The door opened slowly, the young girl outside peering cautiously into the cell. "Um, Jounin-san… it's time to go. We're here to get you out."

Gai stared blankly for an instant, his mind unable to process the girl's words after so many years of captivity. The young one glanced back behind her, distinctive Hyuuga eyes searching carefully before she slipped into the room. She moved slowly, allowing the man crouched on the floor to see that her hands were empty.

She knelt before him, small hands pulling a familiar sliver of steel from a thigh pouch. Gai's eyes lit up as he recognized the slim shape of a lock pick. The girl went to work on the chakra-suppression shackles first, probably assuming – rightly so – that the man could deal with the chains once he was free to use his chakra.

Gai barely suppressed a whoop as the shackles finally, for the first time in years, came off with a deafening click. The girl gave him a small, shy grin as she stood. "You can come with us, or leave on your own, Jounin-san. We're trying to fight ROOT, bring down Danzo, but if you've suffered enough –"

The girl's words were cut off as Gai reached out and ruffled her hair. "Please, little miss!" His rough voice was a poor imitation of its once booming tones, but there was a life in his words that he had thought lost. "As if I could turn my back on the village that needs me!"

And the girl left him to work on escaping his chains as she slipped out and moved on to the next cell. Gai reached out and quickly knocked on the cell wall, letting Tsume know to stand down before the little girl found herself face to face with the wild Inuzuka woman. But he couldn't stop chuckling as he broke his chains one by one.

He was just stepping out of his cell when he heard it. A short, sharp whistle pierced the air. He stopped, every sense going on alert. A few moments later he saw the Hyuuga girl bolt out of the nearby cell, small hands releasing the shackles binding Tsume's wrists. The Inuzuka woman stumbled slightly on her chains, hurrying to keep up with the girl rather than stopping to break the bindings.

Gai paused, taking a quick moment to break the chains hampering the woman's movements. She flashed him a wide grin as the pair sped up to match pace with their rather unorthodox savior.

-

Iruka fought to control his breathing, glancing back to make sure that his team – and the wounded Jounin they had found in one of the cells – was still together. Between Lee and Shikamaru holding the woman upright, Kiba guarding their backs and Iruka himself taking point, the little group moved faster than he would have thought possible with the Jounin's injuries.

But the air practically screamed with sirens and shouts, each new sound pushing the fleeing group to greater speed. The flashing lights cast wildly jumping shadows, the erratic movement only serving to spike adrenalin even higher. More than one kunai was flung at what turned out to be nothing more than their own fear. So when actual operatives came at them, it took a heartbeat to register. Almost too long.

The group split apart, Shikamaru quickly setting the wounded woman safely to the side and bracing himself in a guard position. With these narrow spaces and wildly shifting lights, his Shadow Bind technique would be as much of a risk to his comrades as to his enemies.

The other three circled around to trap the ROOT agents between them. This time, the wild light worked in their favor, making their distinctive weaving attacks appear even more chaotic and confusing.

But Iruka realized quickly that he was in trouble. His boys had outpaced him, growing stronger and faster than he was. Iruka was just a half of a step behind, just a fraction of a second slower. The two ROOT operatives saw it, focused on it. Iruka found himself the target of the majority of the pair's attacks, a fact that confused and upset Lee and Kiba.

As the boys tried to help their first teacher defend himself and still help Shikamaru cover the wounded woman, it threw off their rhythm, leaving each of the three open where they would not have been normally. Iruka shifted directions suddenly, slamming a shoulder into Kiba, knocking the teen to the left even as Iruka himself dropped to the ground.

The shuriken caught the end of his ponytail, snapping the tie. Kiba snarled. The woman – _'pretty lady' _Iruka found himself randomly thinking _'striking eyes'_ – cursed heatedly, red eyes following the three males' movement.

And then pale, bloodied hands rose in a series of graceful movements. And both ROOT agents stumbled, eyes widening as they leapt back – to avoid a blow that wasn't coming.

All four males sent the woman a fast smile, one grateful and three impressed, even as three of them moved to finish off the now-distracted operatives. The lady smiled in return – and her eyes rolled back, body slumping in unconsciousness. Lee yelped slightly, and Iruka quickly picked the woman up. "Let's go, boys. Before those two's backup gets here."

The group made it the rest of the way out without trouble, Iruka giving quick orders. "Kiba, take her and go. Lee, Shika, come with me. Let's find the others." Kiba frowned, but he neither argued nor even hesitated as he let out one sharp whistle. Akamaru bounded up, and Iruka handed the Jounin up after Kiba had climbed up on the now-enormous dog.

The teen grinned down at his teammates. "Don't have too much fun without me, kay?" And then he leaned down, holding the lady tightly with one arm wrapped around her waist – the other hand was buried in white fur. "Akamaru, let's _go_!"

-

The man knelt, motionless save for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. There was no sound to betray the presence of any waking creature on the street – until the faintest of buzzing reached his ears. The man moved then, fluidly raising one arm and allowing a small mass of insects to land on his gloved hand.

His dark head tilted slightly, as if he was listening as the small creatures buzzed and shifted. And then the creatures moved, crawling under his sleeve and out of sight.

Aburame, Shibi stood, turning to the smaller figure standing in the shadows of the wall behind him. "They are moving. Their intentions can no longer be doubted - they have taken a definitive stand against ROOT with this mission. The next move is ours. You know what to do."

The other person bowed his head slightly. "Yes, father."

-

Sasuke cursed viciously under his breath as he ducked under yet another strike from that damn sword. Dark eyes flicking quickly around the corridor, he grit his teeth. Asuma-sensei was held up fighting his own enemy, as was Naruto.

He was on his own, with an enemy that he couldn't close in on because of the blade and couldn't use his long-range jutsu for fear of accidentally collapsing the hallway. This was, frankly, the worst possible scenario for the young Uchiha.

'_Hurry __**up**__, Hinata'_ he thought, mentally willing the stealth specialist to get out of the cell corridor so that they could stop defending this position. The battle would be a lot easier if he didn't have to worry about keeping his enemy away from that door.

He blocked another strike with his kunai, and then had to twist out of the way as his enemy brought up a stomp kick towards his chest. Sasuke dropped into a hurried backwards roll as the slender man twisted his sword, twirling it back and thrusting forward. The teenager hissed as he felt a line of sudden fire along his ribs, proving that he hadn't moved quite fast enough. Sharingan or no, this bastard was _fast_!

Naruto must have seen the hit, because the blond shouted Sasuke's name even as the darker teen twisted away, bringing his leg around in a modified foot sweep. He followed up with pushing into a familiar handstand, using both feet to lash out and knock his opponent back. And this time, probably crack a few ribs, since he wasn't holding back.

But the sudden fear in his teammate's voice drew Sasuke's immediate attention, leaving both boys distracted. The Uchiha's eyes widened as he realized that, for Naruto, that was going to cost him. He shouted, gathering himself up to sprint and try to help his teammate. But before he could, a dark blur shot out from the doorway the group had been guarding, clipping Naruto and slamming into the ROOT operative coming up behind the boy.

Sasuke grinned, immediately turning back to his own opponent as he saw Hinata and another strange adult charge through that same door. The tides had turned; now the ROOT fighters were the ones scrambling to defend.

-

Kakashi reached out, taking a page out of Lee's handbook by grabbing a nearby lamppost, using it as a counterbalance to swing himself around and lash out with both feet at the closest of his pursuers. A twitch of his lips underneath his mask betrayed his pleasure as the man let out a grunt, stumbling back a few steps from the force of the blow.

Kakashi reflected briefly that he made a rather effective distraction, forcing ROOT to chase him for the last fifteen minutes. As he teleported himself to yet another rooftop – making sure that he was close enough to 'find', of course – he caught sight of a large form bounding away from the target building, an unclear shape huddled on top.

A sharp whistle, a quick check – _'status?'_ – and Kiba whistled back. _'Status green. Transporting target, condition damaged. Team to follow.'_ Kakashi nodded, mentally translating the code. _'They're all okay so far. They found the prisoners, and sent Kiba ahead with the wounded, as planned. Almost time to ditch the entourage.'_

-

Gai couldn't stop smiling. Even as he rushed after Asuma and the three teenagers with him, he and Tsume kept sending each other wide, wild grins. The odd team raced through the corridors, dodging ROOT and fighting when necessary.

Gai dropped into a fighting stance as yet another man turned the corner before them, until the Hyuuga girl's quiet but happy cry of "Sensei!" stopped his attack before it began. The scarred man's eyes quickly scanned the children, lingering for an instant on the Uchiha boy's injury before moving on to Asuma, and then the other two Jounin.

The two boys behind him gave the other teens quick grins. Then the Hyuuga girl spoke up. "Where's-"

The adult answered her in mid-sentence, even as the group turned and ran again. "Gone ahead with a wounded prisoner." They all fell silent then, saving their breath for running. And mere moments later, Gai breathed fresh air for the first time in ten years.


	26. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Okay, finally used up the last scenes I had (mostly) pre-written - for this section of the story (*_still has 7 pages for later_*). So the next chapter probably won't be out as quickly as this one was. Thank you again to my reviewers, you've been pretty fast to read and comment on the last few chapters: **dk-joy, Carojen, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Tidmag, Ryu Earth, AZ89, x-smith, Auphora66, Rangerfan58, Wolfkun, Anaeria23, Marz1, Julieanna333** and **cjandre**.

**singing ferret** - can't tell you about the observed kid (unless you allow PM's on your profile) cause that would tell everyone if you were right or wrong. But your questions about the various Aburame's: right on all counts.

**liliki** - glad you asked. There were three prisoners in _that_ place. *grins*

So anyway, here's the next part. _*sets out chapter - runs and hides*_

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

: _On the rubble strewn streets of the once-proud Konoha, a scarred teenager watched in confusion as the little boy, no older than four, fought to hide his feelings – and failed. Naruto grinned, a giggle erupting from his throat as he cooed happily at the kitten in his arms. The child's laughter was bright, the sound ringing in the subdued atmosphere. _

_Iruka questioned the boy, not understanding why Naruto wanted so badly to hide the fact that the little stray cheered him up so much. His answer completely flabbergasted the teacher-to-be. _

"_Cause ev'ybody gets mad if I'm happy. All the time – 'specialy now. If I smile too big, they say I'm disa… dispre… uh, not being good to the Hokage. That the Old Man's dead, an I shouldn't be happy cause that's being mean to his mem'ry." _

_Despite his own dislike for the Kyuubi and its vessel, something twisted in Iruka's heart. Iruka made himself – and more importantly, the little blond at his side – a promise. "Never fear to celebrate good things, Naruto-chan. You must keep in touch with your feelings – no matter what else, always remember that you are human. And if you ever forget, I'll remind you." _:

-

The younger children waited impatiently, fidgeting and whispering in their nervousness. No one had to tell them that this was the most dangerous mission their brothers and sisters had ever gone on, it was clear in everything from Sensei's fretting to Naruto's seriousness while he geared up. They were worried about their family. And it didn't help that Kiba had just brought in a bleeding woman.

The youngest children waited farther back in the room, close to the door. The older children were armed, small hands resting on weapon pouches as they listened for the sounds indicating that the traps that lined each entrance to the Sanctuary had been triggered.

A sudden sound in the hall had the low murmur of voices rising to a louder buzz, but a sharp hiss from Kiba silenced them. The slightest trace of confusion marred his features as he sniffed carefully at the air. A moment later they all heard it – quick, uneven footsteps moving their way. The children all tensed, those closer to the back reaching for the hands of the youngest ones, just in case.

They relaxed again – mostly – when the familiar 'allies' signal whistled through the air from the entrance that Neji guarded. And then they surged forward as their older comrades came through the door. They were, in many cases, bloodstained. But they were smiling. Even bouncing on their feet, in Lee and Naruto's cases.

The younger children surrounded the older ones, babbling questions ranging from 'are you okay' to 'how many butts did you kick?'. Declarations anywhere from 'we knew you could do it' to 'we were worried' mixed in with the questions until no one could distinguish any one sentence anymore.

Hanabi rushed to her sister's side, worriedly checking the older girl for injuries only to be pulled into a tight hug. Hinata whispered, excitement and pride lacing her voice and lighting up her eyes. "We did it, Hanabi. We really did it!" Hanabi laughed in relief, and that sparked a chain reaction in the fighters.

-

Halfway down the corridor, Kakashi pulled the two Jounin aside into another branch, waving the others ahead as he did so. Stepping into a room, they found a pink-haired girl giving firm instructions to a rather beaten up woman with curly dark hair.

As the girl turned to them, Kakashi waved her away. "They're fine, Sakura-chan. Nothing you need to treat right now, and I can handle handing them ointment for the bruises.

The girl – Sakura, Kakashi had said – ran a critical eye over the three Jounin before deciding that they could, in fact, be left on their own. "All right, I'll go rejoin Tetsu at the back entrance. That'll put two on that one, and with Aoi and Chairo on the front, we'll have plenty of time to sound the alarm if ROOT should find us." Tsume fought a snicker at the girl's obvious distrust regarding Kakashi's judgment.

Once the girl left, amused red eyes met Tsume's own. "I heard you in the hall" the woman said, holding out one hand. "My name is Yuhi, Kurenai. It's nice to finally see my fellow tools."

Tsume grinned as Gai – quickly beginning to return to his old flamboyance – swept into a dramatic bow. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but my name is Maito, Gai. And this lady is Inuzuka, Tsume. A pleasure to see you… again."

Tsume smacked him lightly, snorting at the title 'lady'. "So you're little Miss Genjutsu, huh? I've heard the guards talking about your skill with mind tricks when they didn't think I was conscious. And I've got to say, I _love_ some of the things you pulled on the bastards."

Kurenai grinned right back, her features turning briefly vicious despite their delicacy and the bandages wrapped around her head. "I had a lot of time to think about their punishment while I was locked up. But I have to ask" and her attention turned to Kakashi. "What is with the little girl? Where are the other adults, Hatake-san?"

The two other former prisoners turned to the Copy Ninja as well. "Yes, she's right Kakashi" Gai said, dropping his old 'rival' talk in his confusion. "Most members of the team who rescued us were children. Why?"

Kakashi looked rather sheepish under his mask, and he rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. "Well, that's why I pulled you all aside. I thought I should explain the situation before you faced everyone."

-

The teenagers whooped and cheered, every one of them exhilarated by their success. "We did it, we _did_ it, _we __**did it!**_" Lee chanted, pumping one fist in the air. Sasuke's smirk seemed nearly wide enough to crack his face, and he chuckled as he returned Naruto's high five. Shikamaru leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, but his eyes practically sparkled as he grinned. Even Hinata giggled, the bright sound ringing in the open room.

The teens were soon bragging to the younger children, the more hyperactive of the boys telling them tales with greatly exaggerated gestures. Naruto flung his arms out wide as he babbled. "And they were like 'argh' and we were like 'ha', and it was like 'bam' and, and… And we totally kicked butt!"

Kiba laughed. "Yeah, and then you had to get rescued."

Lee poked the dog-like boy in the ribs. "I seem to remember you needing rescuing too."

Kiba mock growled and pounced, pulling Lee into a playful headlock. The action was rough and puppyish, and soon became a friendly wrestling match. Naruto, naturally, jumped right into it, the little scuffle soon sending the three boys tumbling about the room and scattering laughing children.

They finally split apart, laughing breathlessly until Kiba, now rested but – like the others – still high off of adrenalin, snatched Naruto's hitai-ate. The blond shrieked, jumping to his feet and running after the darker boy.

Lee just fell over laughing at the younger pair as Sasuke and Shikamaru rolled their eyes and Hinata giggled again.

-

Asuma wordlessly offered a cigar as Kakashi slumped, exhausted, against the wall beside him. The silvered man shook his head, just leaning against the solidness of the hall.

Itachi had not been able to tell them the names of the prisoners – ROOT had simply used numbers to identify them – so it had been a nasty shock to both men to find that the 'poor bastards' they had felt so sorry for had been people that they knew all along.

They didn't know the Inuzuka woman well – they'd had a few missions with her during the war, but she had been much older than them growing up. But Gai and Kurenai… Asuma had had a crush on the genjutsu specialist as a younger man, and he knew that in their own strange way, Gai and Kakashi had been the best of friends.

As relieved as they were that their friends were alright now, they couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty for thinking them dead all these years.

-

The ex-prisoners stared, wide eyed and silent as they entered Sanctuary proper. It was unbelievable to them that two Jounins, one new Chunin and a bunch of children were able to do all of this. And even more unbelievable that one Genin boy had managed to begin it all. But Kakashi wouldn't have lied to them, and they had seen the children fight with their own eyes.

The three spread out, looking over the large common room with a slightly awed feeling. The adrenaline was starting to wear off now, leaving them all slightly dazed. But Tsume sniffed the air, beginning to relax as she found only the faintest traces of fear's reek – and only mild fear at that.

And then a shriek caught their attention. Running footsteps echoed down the corridor, making each of the Jounin tense until they heard a voice call out, laughter choking the words. "Come on, give it back already!"

"NO! You have to come and get it!"

"Gyah! Damn it, come BACK!"

The Jounin relaxed, smiles tugging at their lips as the two boys came barreling full tilt into the room. The darker haired teen in front held a hitai-ate in his hand, and was looking back at the blond boy chasing him. He clearly didn't see the Jounin. Tsume realized this, moving to jump back out of his way immediately – but not quite fast enough.

"Oomph!" The boy ran straight into the woman, knocking both of them back a step. He flashed a bright grin at her, calling out a quick "sorry" as he slipped around her. Then he paused, confusion in his eyes as he looked back at her, sniffing curiously. But he yelped as Naruto lunged for him, and he darted away again.

Tsume, however, was frozen in place. She had paled, eyes going wide with shock as she recognized the boy's face and scent. As the two teens raced from the room, the Special Jounin spun around, gaze fixed on the darker boy. Her voice trembled, hope and disbelief warring in it as she whispered. "No, it can't be…"

Her eyes went even wider as Naruto's shout carried back to the room. "Damn it, Kiba…!"

The woman pulled in a shaky breath, her eyes filling with tears for the first time since the night her Clan was massacred. "Kiba? Baby?"


	27. April Fools

**A/N:** I had to! Really short chapter, but... The comments about protective!Tsume and mamahen!Iruka jumbled together and birthed this little scene. And it's April Fool's Day, so I just HAD to.

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (guess) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

*According to Wikipedia, sakura trees bloom (in the Kyoto/Tokyo area) in late March or early April.*

* * *

Asuma discussed their rebellion with the three ex-prisoners, quietly explaining the children's abilities and going over the lesson plans that the three Sanctuary teachers had been working from. Kurenai, naturally, volunteered to teach genjutsu – which all of the males were horrible at. Gai was asked – and agreed, enthusiastically – if he could give Lee extra training in taijutsu, since that was the only skill the boy would truly be able to excel in.

Movement in the hall caught their attention, and the four glanced over as Kakashi stepped through the door, nose buried in a bright pink book. The others blinked. Gai, unsurprisingly, spoke first. "Um, my rival, is that…?"

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "Yep. Man's got to have a hobby, especially when he had to deal with ROOT all the time. These are so corny and overdone that they're funny. Highly amusing – and that's not even counting people's reaction to them."

Looking warily at the little book, Asuma spoke next. "Er, does Iruka _know_ that you have those? Here? As in, around his kids?"

"Hm, sort of."

"Sort of?" Kurenai asked, her tone slightly incredulous.

"He knows I _read_ them, he just doesn't know that I have another one."

Asuma arched a brow. "Another one? …I sense a story here. Spill, Kakashi."

The masked man lowered his book, ducking his head in mild embarrassment. "Well, you see, it was sort of like this…"

-

: _He had set aside his work for the night, leaning back against the wall as he relaxed and allowed his mind to drift. His aching eye, not yet adjusted to long-term low light such as the tunnels provided, closed as he listened to the children around him. He heard the rustle of paper as Umino put away his own papers, and the quick, light footsteps of one of the children. The child – a girl, judging by the swishing sound of long hair brushing against clothing – ran lightly as she returned from her errand. _

_Umino's quiet voice sounded, amusement lacing its tone. "Alright, what book are we starting tonight?" A girlish giggle, and the rustle of clothes suggested that the others nearby had moved closer to the Chunin as he took the book. "Yumi-chan, I don't remember this book. Where did you get it?" _

"_From Kakashi-sensei's bag." For a heartbeat, he thought nothing of it. And then his eyes snapped open, heart lurching as he remembered having slipped a pair of Itcha-Itcha novels in his bag for down-time reading just before he found out that he had to run. A strangled sound escaped him, breath catching in his throat as Iruka cracked open the bright orange book. _

_The younger man read the first few lines silently, paused, blinked a few times, and read them again. Then he turned bright red, slammed the book closed, jumped up and threw it in the fire. He stormed towards the Jounin, spluttering unintelligibly as he snatched the silver one up by the ear. "You, it, that… Pervert!" _

_The kids didn't move, barely even breathed. They just watched wide-eyed as Kakashi was dragged from the room, and moments later the muffled sounds of shouting and crashes echoed from down the hall. _

_A few hours later, a much more wary Kakashi sat well across the room from an Iruka who was still periodically shooting him dirty looks. One brave – or maybe just stupid – child finally dared to break the tension. "Um, Sensei… what's a pervert?" _

_Wordlessly, Iruka pointed at Kakashi. _:

-

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, his expression sheepish even through his mask. He glanced at his fellow Jounin to gauge their reactions. Kurenai rolled her eyes in slightly disgusted exasperation and Asuma roared with laughter. Gai… was backing away, hands held palm-out in front of him as he nervously coaxed. "Now, Tsume, calm down. Let's be reasonable about this…"

Kakashi gulped. Tsume growled as she stalked forward, anger written in every line of her body. "You brought that _filth_ around _children_?!" she snarled. Gai yelped as the tough kunoichi lunged past him to get to Kakashi – who was barely able to scramble out of her way in time. She just growled and lunged again.

-

Ten minutes later, Iruka – returning from getting an update from Kin and Chairo – followed the sounds of laughter, the scent of sakura blossoms following him in. Pushing his way through the gathered crowd of children, he stopped short upon finding Kakashi ducking a clearly enraged Tsume. Gai was trying to calm the woman without being hit himself, and Asuma cheerfully made bets with the children on the outcome of the match.

Looking to Kurenai as – apparently – the only sane person in the area, Iruka spoke with a touch of resignation in his voice. "Do I want to ask?"

Red eyes glanced over, and a sympathetic smile touched the genjutsu specialist's lips. "No, probably not."


	28. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Okay, sorry for the wait (if you don't count the April Fools chapter). School's been nuts - we're in midterms right now, and I've been trying to straighten out a problem that could have stopped me from graduating next semester. As much as I like writing, getting through college takes priority. Anyway, thank you to all my readers, and especially to reviewers (2 chapters worth, since I forgot with the April Fools chapter): **WhyMustIWrite, imaxgoxgnomgnomxonxya, Rangerfan58, Kyogre, jazzy2may, Kendansa, iNsAnE nO bAkA, singing ferret, OneWhoSlashes, Julieanna333, GoldenRat, x-smith, Antimatterannihilation, sadisticmasochist kitsune, TheFinalCountdown, Shinigamiwrath** and Auphora66

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (you'll see) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

: _The children looked up at their teacher with wide, expectant eyes. They had come to look forward to Saturday classes, because the rare times that such a thing occurred, it was always an unusual subject matter, and was generally a lot of fun. Naruto bounced lightly in his seat, making Sasuke twitch in annoyance._ _When Iruka walked in with six sheets of paper and a pen, the pre-teens looked at each other in anticipation. "Alright, guys," the teacher announced as he handed out the papers. "Each of you write your name on the paper – Kiba, use that extra sheet for Akamaru." _

_After the instructions were followed and the papers picked up, Iruka folded the papers up into small squares and dropped them into a box. "Here's the way this is going to work. I'm going to draw names from this box, and pair you up according to the draw." The kids murmured – except for Kiba, who gaped in horror as he realized that he might not be working with Akamaru. _

_"Next Saturday I'm going to have a kind of obstacle course set up – it could include traps, sparring, genjutsu, pretty much anything you've learned. Between now and then, I want you each to work with your partner – learn their strengths and weaknesses, figure out ways you can cover for or compliment each other's abilities." The teacher smiled. "We're going to do this until each of you has worked with each of the others – and I've got the ones aboveground doing the same exercise on paper with a genjutsu for the test. Good luck." _

_And he pulled the first pair of names. _:

-

Laughter rang in the open room, the man just barely remembering to keep his volume under that of a roar. Gai called out, almost taunting as he dodged yet another strike. "What's wrong, my rival? Don't tell me this is the best you can do! Have you truly become so reliant on your jutsu that you can no longer match me in pure combat?"

Kakashi shot him a mock glare, knowing that the other man was right – it had been so long since he had fought a battle where he couldn't use his more powerful jutsu that he was having a hard time keeping up with Gai's taijutsu. It slightly burned his pride to know that he had once been able to match the other in this area. But he smirked as he answered, allowing himself to fall back into the habit of their old rivalry. "Please, Gai. I was just taking it easy, on account of how taijutsu's all you've used for so long. Didn't want to hit you with something you can't defend against anymore."

The two men shared happy grins as they traded attitudes and attacks, one striking only to find his move blocked. Kakashi's Sharingan eye was spinning lightly, good cheer shining in it as he saw his old friend had fallen back into the habit of watching his feet. It briefly crossed his mind to wonder if Itachi knew that trick – _'might have to have __**him**__ spar Gai, it'd be funny if nothing else' _he thought – but mostly, he focused on finding techniques. Specifically, ones he could use _without_ spiking enough chakra to pierce Sanctuary's wards. Both men were breathing hard by this time, though it was almost as much from laughter as exertion.

"I'll show you a new trick, Copy Ninja. I call it 'Shadow of the Dancing Leaf'. Watch this, Kakashi – or better yet, TRY and avoid it!" With a smirk, Gai darted to the left.

Kakashi twisted, only to find that the green-clad man – though he couldn't find spandex, thank all that was holy – directly before him, dropping low. A smug grin tugged at his lips as he jumped up and away – but then Gai grinned, and Kakashi knew he had just played right into his rival's hands. The other vanished, and Kakashi darted his eyes to find the man. "Over here" came a voice at his back.

Kakashi was twisting, lashing out one hand in a desperate back fist even as he felt hands latch onto his clothing. A shift of weight and Gai spun them both in midair, using a small burst of chakra to flip them so that Kakashi would strike the ground first. Kakashi grinned, beyond thrilled to be fighting a casual battle against someone who might actually beat him – if he wasn't careful. But he couldn't let it be that easy. A quick hand seal, and electricity crackled along his arm and across his shoulders, lightly singeing Gai's hands. But more importantly, making the taller man let go.

A soft sound caught his attention, and Kakashi formed another few seals. A hurried substitution jutsu later, and the two combatants stared at each other from across the room. Kakashi didn't have to speak – a raised eyebrow, the slightest shifting of weight and Gai broke into another broad smile. "Well fought, my honored rival, but I believe that is enough exercise for tonight."

Kakashi nodded, agreed cheerfully, and pulled his hitai-ate back over his eye. After all, it was only three days ago that Gai had been wearing chakra suppression shackles. The two pulled canteens from their gear at the back of the room and sipped quietly for a moment, waiting for the telltale drop of chakra in the air.

Then they turned as one and slipped out into the corridor. Staying carefully out of sight, the Jounin followed the tracks of their 'hidden' observers. Gai thought that they had actually done an admirable job of keeping themselves hidden – until the Hyuuga girl had gasped a bit at Kakashi's lightning jutsu.

-

The small group buzzed excitedly, only Shikamaru's hissed "keep it down!" keeping their noise under control. Well, that, and the fact that they were all _supposed_ to be in bed by now. As two figures slipped into the large room, Naruto couldn't hold it inside any more. "Well, anything good?" Hinata nodded, still blushing faintly.

Sasuke smirked. "Yeah, just give us a few minutes to put it together."

Sakura looked at the others in mild confusion, and Lee grinned as he explained. "We had to learn to work together a long time ago, and these two work really well as a learning team. With their blood line limits, there's very little that they can't break down and figure out. Sasuke-kun memorizes the physical movement, and any hand seals. In the meantime, Hinata-chan watches and memorizes the rate and flow of chakra. Then they just combine what they learned – there's not much that the two of them can't copy when they work together."

The girl's eyes lit up with understanding and anticipation. "Oh, I see! Then they'll teach us, right?"

Kiba leaned in, drawing a breath to speak. But his words would forever remain unsaid as a deeper voice broke in, amusement lacing the tone. "Is that so? Well, if you've got that much energy left over, then I haven't been doing my job right."

All of the teenagers whirled to face the doorway, and Hinata squeaked. "Kakashi-sensei!"

-

The next morning, all Genin teams were assembled in order to hear which teams had been chosen to participate in the upcoming Chunin exam. Not the inter-Village exam of old, but a combat exam held before their Hokage. Only one team had been selected, a trio of boys known among the other Genin for seemingly guiltless violence. And then they were released.

Blue eyes looked up as one of Ino's age-mates approached her. The room had quickly emptied, each team scattering as soon as the coordinator had dismissed them. Even the teacher had gone while Ino was putting up her things. But Aburame, Shino stood silently in front of the girl for an instant, his chin tilted slightly down and to the side, as if he was listening to something. And then he looked up, and even though she could not see his eyes behind the boy's dark sunglasses, she _knew_ that his gaze locked with her own.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low but confident. "We are alone. May we speak?"

The girl blinked. "Um, sure…?"

The taller Genin took a deep breath even as Ino realized that he had placed himself between her and the exit, but then his words sent a cold fear racing down her spine. "Sanctuary. I know you are a part of it."

Ino froze, her mind blanking even as her mouth stuttered a response. "I d-don't kno-"

"_Kin._"

She shut up, her mind automatically detailing which objects could be used for weapons and how she might possibly escape. And then Shino spoke again. "Yamanaka-san, I am not trying to threaten you. I have known for nearly a year now – many among my clan for much longer than that – and have not betrayed you. Just the opposite – my clan wishes to offer our support, to fight alongside you."

Ino stared for a heartbeat, but then she re-collected her thoughts. "Even if I _did_ have a clue what you were talking about, why would you say something like that? Make such an offer?"

Shino's chin tilted down again, and to her surprise the boy's fists clenched, and his voice trembled slightly with anger and loathing. "My clan, as you may know, has a reputation for stoicism. This has served us well during these troubled times, allowing us to hide our true emotions with no one being the wiser. However, our insects allow us to communicate in ways that most shinobi will never understand – or be able to intercept." The boy shook his head sharply.

"I grew up on stories that most adults no longer dare to tell – stories of the old Konoha, under the Third or the Fourth Hokage. Father says that, had we realized Danzo's true nature sooner, we would have stood beside the Inuzuka clan and fought against him. We have been waiting for the chance to fight back. We did not join your cause earlier because we were not certain that you were intending to actively fight, and we did not wish to betray our intentions unless we were assured that our allies would fight alongside us. But when you broke loyal Konohans out of ROOT's prison, we realized that you were becoming an active rebellion and we knew that now was the time."

Shino's voice became nearly pleading, utterly shocking the blonde girl. "We are not asking to be taken into your deepest confidences, Yamanaka-san. We merely ask that we be allowed to assist you in your efforts. Please, give us the chance to fight back, to restore our clan's pride."

All Ino could do was nod weakly. "I'll… talk to them. That's all I can promise."

"That is more than enough. Thank you."


	29. Chapter 26

**A/N:** Okay, next one up. *holds up hands defensively* I know that there's some big secret about the Uchiha massacre, but I haven't gotten that far, so all I have to rely on for the Clan is little Sasuke's memories. So don't shoot me for their characterizations, okay? Anyway, I'll be out of town for half of next week, so the next chapter might take a while. Thank yous go out again to my readers, and to reviewers: **GoldenRat, HandandFoot, alteris, Rangerfan58, The-Lady-Smaell, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Curtis Zidane Ziraa, ^^*, Auphora66, Kyogre, WhyMustIWrite, DeidaraHoshika, Midnight Phase **and** x-smith.  
**

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (Ino) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

:_ Ino stifled a sigh, trying not to fidget with impatience. She didn't __**want**__ to meditate; she wanted to actually __**do**__ something! 'Yeah, being able to be still is important' she thought, 'but I __**know**__ how to do that – we've been working on it since we started the Academy. Stillness, manners, flirting… aren't kunoichi supposed to be able to fight, too?' _

_The nine year old darted a glance across the training yard to where the boys in her age group were sitting around in a circle, listening to something that included diagrams and gestures on the part of their teacher. Her eyes settled on a bored looking boy with dark hair pulled back. Pink lips twitched as she fought a grin. She knew Shikamaru – he and Chouji used to come over with their dads, though she had never been particularly close to the boys. They had always been more interested in sitting around the adults than playing dolls with her… but still, she knew Shikamaru was smart and understood a lot more than he showed. 'Hmm, I wonder…'._

_Glancing up through her bangs to check on her teacher, she waited until the woman had turned to correct another student. And then Ino formed discreet hand seals, hoping that her newly learned technique would work right this time. An odd twisting feeling, an almost sickening sensation of free fall, and a distinct impression of movement. And then she grinned, finding herself in the dark corners of another's mind. Ino took a moment to center herself, and then released the barriers around her mind so that she could see what her 'host' was thinking. _

_The boy's mind slammed into hers with all the force of a tidal wave, and Ino gasped as she was thrown into his memories. She had the brief impression of a mind laid out with almost mathematical precision, but his thoughts, while organized, were moving so quickly that Ino immediately felt she was drowning in them. Snippets of thought, flashes of memories rocketed by her as Shikamaru analyzed…something._

_**/**__a small boy, listening with vague suspicion as his friend mentioned another theft__**/**__ a young, dark haired shinobi with a scar across his nose, and a strange symbol on his hitai-ate__**/**__ words: "you're saving the little ones, aren't you?"__**/**__ a map, carefully analyzed__**/ **__slipping away, a girl who should be dead waving as they stepped into the building__**/**__ more words, spoken by a blond boy with sparkling blue eyes: "One day, we're gonna take Danzo down, and make it all okay. Believe it!"__**/**_

_Ino jerked herself out of the boy's mind, her departure fast enough to be clumsy. As she pulled away, she felt his sudden shock and awareness of the violation. Safely back in her own body, two pairs of eyes met across the yard, shocked blue locking with abruptly horrified brown. And then a voice broke into Ino's numbness. "Yamanaka-chan, may I ask what you are doing, because it is __**not**__ meditation." _

_Ino ducked her chin, her mind going blank. But she spoke anyway, the words leaving her mouth with little input from her mind. "I was watching the boys, Kotone-sensei. I was using Tuesday's lesson to see if I could determine which ones were paying closest attention to their teacher, that way when I graduate and have to interact with my targets I'll know if I am actually holding their attention." _

_The little girl held her breath as the teacher looked at her, and nearly sighed with relief when the woman spoke. "That's a good exercise, Ino-chan, and I'm glad that you're trying to be the best kunoichi you can. But today, we're working on something else, so please pay attention." _

"_Yes, Sensei." _

_Across the yard, Shikamaru relaxed slightly as the adult walked away without calling out to his teacher. The fear mostly ebbed out of his eyes, leaving behind a calculating expression as he watched the blonde girl he barely knew. She met his gaze again, a question in those blue eyes. And he nodded, agreeing to meet her later. After all, she had already seen enough to damn him, and had held her silence when confronted. _

_He had the feeling they had just gained another recruit. _:

-

The girls glanced up as Kiba dropped down beside them. "What 'cha doing?"

Sasuke answered him. "Sakura-chan's teaching Hinata-chan some basic medical jutsu, and I'm joining the lesson."

Kiba snorted. "Never thought of you as a medic, Sasuke."

The other boy rolled his eyes. "I'm not, but it couldn't hurt to learn a little of it. Sensei always said that there's no such thing as useless knowledge, especially to a shinobi. Now the question is - what are _you_ doing here? This isn't exactly in the main hallways."

Kiba ducked his head and mumbled something under his breath, causing Sasuke to smirk as Sakura spoke up, her tone lightly scolding. "Kiba, are you hiding from Tsume-san again?"

The boy immediately bristled. "I'm not hiding! Just… not staying in the same room."

Hinata spoke up next. "Kiba-kun, what is it that you have against her?"

He twitched slightly, a note of confusion and mild distress creeping into his voice. "She doesn't talk to me unless she has to, but… she keeps _watching_ me! It's _creepy_!" Sakura bit her lip, trying not to laugh at the sudden mental image of a chibified Kiba, big pleading eyes plus a tail and puppy ears flicking in confusion. Hinata apparently didn't get the image, because the other girl kept talking. "Well, you do belong to the same Clan. And didn't you say that first day that she seemed a little familiar? Have you talked to her? She might have known your parents, or even known you."

They couldn't help it, Sasuke and Sakura both snickered a bit at the sulky tone Kiba took on when he answered Hinata. "Don't care. Still creepy."

-

Meanwhile, up in Konoha proper, Ino climbed up to the top of her chosen building. The girl paused, taking a deep breath as she looked out over the rooftops. And then she raised her hands, fingers forming a jutsu as familiar to her as her own name. Her mind stretched out, the familiar feeling of free-fall as exhilarating as ever. But the mind that she touched was not a single intelligent entity, but rather a collection of smaller, mostly instinctive parts. She reeled for a moment, unaccustomed to the hive mind of insects, but then she wrapped some of them close, holding the little creatures still for a moment before releasing them.

Returning to her own body, she raised one hand, knowing that Kakashi would see it from wherever he was waiting. The agreed upon signal had been sent, now to see if Shino answered it.

-

Danzo carefully schooled his expression, hiding his displeasure beneath a calm façade. Something was wrong. His meeting with the Fire Lord had gone well, and he had been pleased – until he stepped into the Hokage Tower. His subordinates would not meet his eyes, many finding reasons not to be in his presence. Yes, something had definitely happened while he was away, and it was something that his staff knew he would be displeased about.

Upon entering his office, Danzo waved away his guards. He silently considered his staff, attempting to decide which operative would be best to call in about whatever situation had occurred in his absence. And then a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. Calling out permission, he nearly raised a brow at one of his teenage operative's entrance. The boy he called Sai bowed low, waiting for his permission to speak. "Report."

The boy straightened, the first all day to dare meet his Hokage's eye. "Danzo-sama, the rebels have intensified their opposition, actively seeking out and battling ROOT forces in your absence."

His eye narrowed, and Danzo spoke after slowly unclenching his teeth. "Explain."

-

That evening, a dark haired woman glanced up as she heard the front door open. There were no footsteps, so she assumed that Itachi was home. Sure enough, a moment later saw the young man crossing the hall. Something wasn't quite right about the way he walked, and even though she couldn't tell exactly what that something was, Mikoto spoke up. "Itachi, is something wrong?"

Her oldest boy – _'a man, not a boy anymore, if he ever was one'_ she reminded herself – looked at her with blank eyes before he answered. "Slightly tired, Mother. Nothing to be concerned about." He turned away then, closing himself in his room.

She sighed under her breath, her eyes saddened. Watching her oldest son's door, Mikoto couldn't help but think sadly on the history that had brought her family to this point. _"I've always trusted you, Fugaku' _she thought sadly. _'I allowed you to take charge of Itachi's upbringing, even though everything inside of me wanted to baby him as a mother should. I followed you in supporting the new Hokage, even though I doubted his intentions. And I've stood beside this Clan, even when it seemed to go against what was good for Konoha as a whole. And now look…'_

The woman shook her head, taking a deep breath to stop the tears from building. _'Our oldest is worn before his time, lacking joy in his life. Our youngest – my baby, the one you let me hold and treasure – is lost, likely killed somewhere in the confusion of the regime change. Konoha's children wonder why their parents seem so defeated when the world they know is – they believe – wonderful. And our Clan, while powerful and firmly in the Hokage's favor, is hated by our peers. Fugaku… is this really what we wanted? …it doesn't seem worth it…'_

-

Back in Sanctuary, another mother was also mourning her broken family. But Tsume had friends who actually cared about her sadness. "How well did you know him?"

The Inuzuka woman glanced up, meeting the red eyes of her closest female friend. "Who?" she replied automatically, though she knew very well who Kurenai was referring to. As the two retired to their room, preparing to settle down for the night, the question caught the older off guard.

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "You know who. Kiba-kun. He's a member of your Clan, and you knew him at some point – don't think Gai and I didn't notice your reaction to him that first day. I think that Gai knows what's between the two of you, but I don't. You always notice him, pay attention to him more than anyone else, but you're hesitant around him. As if you're afraid to talk to him. So, who was he to you?"

A long moment of stubborn silence, and Tsume sighed. "He's… he's my son, Kurenai. My youngest, my baby boy. I… had thought him killed with the majority of my Clan, but he's here, and…"

Kurenai sucked in a breath, slowly releasing it as she stared wide-eyed at her friend. "He's… so why? Why aren't you talking to him, Tsume?"

To her surprise, the older woman made a disdainful sound. "He doesn't recognize me. What am I supposed to do, walk up and say 'Hi, I know you don't know me, but I'm your mom. Sorry I haven't been here most of your life'. Yeah, _that_ would go over real well."

And there was really nothing that could be said to that.


	30. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Okay, everyone. Short chapter here, but it's to set things up for the next few chapters. *takes DEEP breath* Getting close to the end now. Sort of. Maybe. I hope. So thank you for patience and thanks especially to reviewers: **Rangerfan58, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Auphora66, Julieanna333, WhyMustIWrite, Kyogre, Phoenix1023, Juniperbreezie, VescaWithoutWings, Melissa, singing ferret, Harvey, Peeka-chan, DarkRavie **and **dundee998.**

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (Ino) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

_: The little boy stared, his eyes wide as he looked up, and up, and UP. The five year old lunged forward, clutching tightly onto his father's hand as the Jounin walked ahead. _

_Shino couldn't see his father's eyes, but he could feel the man's gaze settle on his frightened face. After all, Shino had spent his entire life in the hive-like compounds of the Aburame Clan, and his first venture out under that endless blue sky was terrifying to the tyke. But his father understood. _

_A shift of the man's grip, a lightly varying pressure on the boy's arm, and the child relaxed somewhat. Because the Aburame did not need words to communicate effectively, and Shino only needed touch because he was too young yet to catch the subtleties of his Clan's complex communication. The light pressure along his arm reassured the child that his father knew his fear, and was unconcerned with the lack of warm, safe darkness and the walls of their home. _

_It was enough. _

_Which was why it utterly shocked the little boy when the dark man dropped to one knee, wrapping the child in his arms as his insects thrummed a complicated message against the boy's skin. _"_Look, Shino" his father silently commanded. "Look up at the Hokage Mountain, at what we must never forget. Look, and listen. Let me tell you how it once was, and how it should be…":_

-

Dark eyes opened slowly, a more common occurrence than it should be in his life. But between ANBU and research and Sanctuary, he was exhausted. No matter.

Itachi sat up, blinking as he quietly analyzed his options for the day. Danzo was furious. The meeting called the previous night had stirred up all of ROOT and ANBU. The time for passive searching was over – the Hokage wanted 'those damn rebels' found, and he wanted them found _now_. Tracking down Sanctuary had finally become a priority, and there was nothing that Itachi could do about it.

The young man finally got out of bed, going through his morning preparations with an absent-mindedness that would have made his squad mates believe he had broken inside. In reality, he was calmly – always calmly, _thank_ you and _choke_, father – sorting through methods of informing Iruka that their time was going to be over very soon.

'_Hana'_ he finally decided. _'Her ROOT student will have been called away to search, so she'll have a better chance of reaching Sanctuary unobserved.'_ Strategy in place, Itachi was ready to leave the dubious safety of his room.

But before he opened his bedroom door, he made certain to look over his reflection very carefully. After all, he had allowed too much of his weariness to show last night, and had been – by his _mother_, of all people! – called on it. And it wouldn't do to have anyone suddenly wondering why he was so very tired all the time.

-

In a quiet part of the forest, a man sat still and silent, mentally praying that he was not going to be discovered by his enemies. And then a voice hissed behind him. "What the _hell_ are you doing here, Genma?! Are you _trying_ to get yourself caught?!"

The sitter turned to face the speaker, a senbon dangling from lips slowly forming an excited smile. "It wouldn't matter if I was, Raido, as long as you got my message and got away."

The older man paused, confusion creasing his already burn-lined face even more. "Explain."

Shiranui Genma actually took the senbon out of his mouth as he spoke, his words low but pressured, as if they had been building up inside of him and _had_ to be released. "They're real, Rai. There's really someone in there, trying to fight Danzo. Word has it that they broke into a ROOT prison and rescued some Jounin. It's not just you and me anymore… Rai, you've _got_ to get Ibiki down here. Get everyone."

Raido, to his credit, only stared for a heartbeat before his years of training took over. "If they've become that bold, then Danzo is going to retaliate. They weren't before, or we'd have known that they were real. But… they're being hunted now, aren't they?"

Genma nodded, but the eager shine in his eyes was beginning to spread to his fellow information smuggler. "It won't be long before they're found. Rai, we _have_ to be there when they are. If we're not… there may never be another chance to free Konoha."

Mere moments later, Genma walked casually down the streets to his apartment and Raido slipped through the trees, moving as quickly as stealth would allow. Both men wore hopeful smiles despite the danger.

-

In the early dawn light, a young woman moved down the street, her steps brisk but unhurried. Hana knew better than to appear rushed. If asked, she had a perfectly valid excuse to visit the Aburame Clan – she held an old mission file containing scant information on a poisonous insect one of her clansmen's nin-dog had once been bitten by, and wanted the insect-user Clan to assist her in finding an antidote for that particular insect's venom.

But really, she just wanted Shino to pass the word. Her fellow undercover allies needed to be very careful. The war would end soon, and they needed to step up the preparations. After that, she would tell Iruka personally.

The veterinarian fought a smile; she would see Kiba for the first time in nearly a month… and meet the new additions while she was there.

-

In a barren room, men and women of all ages were gathering silently, solemnly. But there were some fairly obvious differences in the assembled shinobi, even aside from the two uniform styles.

The ROOT operatives were, for the most part, younger. Their gazes were flat, save for a few with the slightest trace of an anticipatory gleam in their eyes. The ANBU, however, were resigned. Grim. Their eyes almost haunted before those cold white masks slid into place.

As one, the two very different groups gathered their weapons. Today, the hunt began in earnest.

-

Chouza frowned, eyes briefly glancing to the windowsill that the pigeon had just flown away from. He re-read the message the bird had brought. _'So ANBU and ROOT are moving, are they Inoichi?'_ he thought. And then the Akimichi ex-Jounin shifted his eyes to the wall separating his and his son's rooms. His features softened, and he whispered under his breath. "Chouji, it's about to get bad for a little while, but… if it goes right, it should get so much better…"

-

Those civilians – and a number of shinobi – who regularly rose early in the morning followed their usual routines inside of their homes. And then they stepped outside. When the inhabitants of the eastern sector of Konoha caught sight of ANBU and ROOT spread out in the streets, they all paled in fear. Every one of them went back inside, calling their families to them and praying that whatever ROOT was searching for had nothing to do with them.


	31. Chapter 28

**A/N:** And here it is, the much-anticipated 'dramatic family reunion'. Seriously, did you all really think that I would cheat you all of that? Anyway, thank you all for reading, and especially those of you who review: **_Rangerfan58, Yokura, Tara La'Quinn, melissa, singing ferret, iNsAnE nO bAkA, pheonix1023, WhyMustIWrite, Auphora66, DarkRavie, micah.n10_** and **_Beff_**. And by the way - OVER 300 REVIEWS?! Holy cow, people! _*is blown away*_

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (Ino) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

_: Iruka followed the faint sound of sobbing through the corridors, his candle the only light this far underground. He hadn't had the chance to install lights in these halls yet. Finally he traced the sound into a small storeroom. Ducking down, he averted his eyes as he softly called out. "Where in the world could Lee have gone to? I've been looking all over… I wonder if he could be in here?" _

_A moment and a few sniffles later, the six year old climbed out from behind some of the boxes stacked in a corner. The little boy sniffled again, and the teacher dropped to sit on the floor, patting the space beside him. Lee curled up at his side, burying his face in the teacher's side as the teen wrapped an arm around the child. "What's wrong, Lee?" _

_The boy shook his head slightly, and the pair sat silently for a long time before the child answered. "I… miss mom, Sensei. And dad, and… My family's gone, Sensei… they're just gone." At the little one's words, a soft whimper sounded from the doorway. Two pairs of eyes lifted, only to find all three of the other children peering in. Judging from the way she was biting her lip, Hinata was probably the one who had whimpered. _

_Iruka fought a sigh, but extended his other arm and immediately had his arms full of four small children. Naruto patted Lee's arm, his voice in a low whisper. "I never had a family, Lee-kun. But I wanted one…" _

_Hinata nodded, tears in her voice. "Mine are there, but… I can't see them… not ever again…" Sasuke and Kiba didn't say a word, but their teary eyes and stubborn expressions eliminated the need. _

_This time Iruka did sigh. He held the children closer as he murmured, his voice low and soothing. "You have a family, Naruto. You all do. …We're family now, all five of us." Four sets of wide eyes stared up at him, each with hope shining through their sadness. _

_"Really, Sensei?" Kiba whispered. _

_Iruka smiled. "Really.":_

-

Hana did her best not to let her tension show in the set of her shoulders or the way she moved. But what had become routine had suddenly become hard again, harder then it had been since the first time she had followed a boy known only as Akai, hoping against her own common sense that they would be able to see her baby brother. Before, there had always been a possibility that she would catch some bored operative's eye and be followed.

But the operatives weren't bored anymore – were, in fact, specifically watching for even the slightest trace of suspicious activity. Finally, after what felt like a ridiculous amount of meandering and window shopping – funny how almost all of the shops were closed – she dared to duck into one of the side entrances to Sanctuary. She whistled a signal as familiar to her as her brother's scent – _ally_ – and nodded a greeting to the young guards as they let her pass.

Once safely in the tunnels of Sanctuary, Hana finally relaxed. She smiled again, her pace speeding slightly in anticipation. So focused on seeing her brother, she actually brushed of the naggingly familiar scent that lingered in the corridor.

-

Under the innocuously sunny sky, Itachi forced down a scowl. It would not be out of place – many of the ROOT operatives were lightly frowning, a big thing considering their 'no emotions' training – nor would it even be visible behind the white porcelain of his mask, but still, it was not a good idea for him to get into the habit of allowing his emotions to cross his face. Especially since his frown was for a different reason than everyone else's.

ROOT was upset because they had found no trace of the rebels – Itachi felt a warm burst of pride every time they searched somewhere that he _knew_ the children had been, but found nothing – and ANBU were blank, voices carefully neutral and faces hidden behind those same white masks. But Itachi wanted to frown because they were going so _fast_. Nearly half of the Eastern sector had been covered by now, as ROOT and ANBU swept the streets.

At this rate, the Western sector – and Sanctuary's entrances – would be found by the beginning of the next week. He could only thank whatever power was watching out for them that that sector was the last scheduled to be searched. But still… their time was up, and for once, the prodigy of the Uchiha Clan was out of ideas.

-

Kiba laughed, reaching out to lightly punch Sakura's arm as the blushing medic insisted that "I really _didn't_ mean to!"

"Su-ure, Sakura-chan, we believe you" Naruto teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Hinata spoke up to defend their pink-haired friend. "Really, Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan had no way to know that that wasn't food coloring. The kitchen is a very strange place to keep cloth dye, so it's not her fault." Lee was too busy laughing to speak, but he nodded at the younger girl's words.

Even Sasuke chipped in, his voice droll but his eyes dancing with amusement. "Yes, Naruto. It's absolutely not Sakura's fault that Asuma's beard… turned… blue." It was too much.

Sasuke and Hinata both broke out in chuckles as Sakura threw her hands in the air. "Well, it washed out! …didn't it?"

"Yes, it did. After about six washings. With Gai scrubbing." The group looked up as the dryly amused voice answered. Shikamaru gave them all a smirk as he settled down beside them. "I was watching. It was funny." As the adults returned to the room, Asuma was the only one not chuckling along with the children, and for once, when Kiba and Tsume's gazes met, they shared a broad grin – at the smoker's expense.

And then the 'ally' signal broke through their laughter. All heads turned towards the common room entrance, wondering who was dropping by unannounced. Kiba and Tsume both sniffed at the air, and Kiba's face lit up. Tsume looked confused, glancing over at the boy and sniffing the air again, but none of the long-term Sanctuary crew even had to ask who was walking in as Kiba scrambled to his feet and rushed the doorway.

Everyone could hear the pair as they got closer – Kiba wasn't known for his quietness. "This is great! What are you doing here? I didn't think I'd get to see you for a few months yet. I thought you were stuck with some ROOT brat? How'd you get out of that one, and, and…"

A feminine laugh echoed in the corridor, amusement clear in the young woman's voice as she answered. "Easy, there Kiba. One thing at a time. Jeez, what's got you so hyped up, huh?" With everyone looking on in amusement, Gai was the only one who noticed Tsume suddenly go very still, eyes wide as her breath caught in her chest at the sound of that voice.

When the siblings walked in, Hana's eyes swept the group, smiling at the familiar faces. And then her gaze met Tsume's. Hana froze.

-

In the small house on the end of a quiet street, four friends met, to all appearances a casual get-together. But as soon as the door closed, the easy smiles dropped, leaving the hard gazes of experienced shinobi. None wasted any time, the blond man speaking even as he led the way into his livingroom. "Shi and I have been keeping track of their movements, and it looks like they're sweeping hard and fast. They'll be finished by Monday, Tuesday at the latest. That means that these rebels – and us – are out of time."

Shikaku was still busy – the man's gaze had been turned inwards and his fingers had twitched slightly ever since he got Inoichi's message that morning. His friends left him alone – they all knew that the geniuses of the Nara clan each had their own little quirks when they were analyzing something. Shikamaru linked the tips of his fingers together in a circle, and Shikaku drummed his with each point he thought of.

So Yoshino spoke up for him. "We think that they're based somewhere in the Western sector. Shi muttered a whole lot of little things that made him think so, but I won't get into those. There's too many of them, and a lot of them don't make sense to me."

Chouza grinned. "That's why he's the genius, and not any of us." But then the four grew solemn, and they settled down. It was time to draw up battle plans.

-

Kiba glanced in concern and confusion between the two Inuzuka women, each of whom seemed frozen in place. His expression quickly hardened as Hana stared, white-faced, shock and recognition reflected in her eyes. The boy dropped into a fighting stance, moving immediately to place himself in front of his sister. Akamaru flanked left at his master's silent command. Kiba's voice was suddenly vicious as he confronted Tsume. "All right, who the hell are you?! No more games – what did you do to my sister?!"

The room was utterly silent by now, but Gai and Kurenai shifted to stand closer to Tsume as many of Santuary's children fingered their weapons. All eyes were locked on the three Inuzukas, most of the gazes bordering on hostile when they looked at Tsume. The kids had liked her, but Kiba and Hana were two of them, and if she threatened them…

When Tsume didn't immediately answer, Kiba took one step forward, his entire body practically screaming with aggression. "ANSWER ME, damnit!" he snarled, his voice shaking with rage. And then he stilled, drawing up short when Hana laid one hand on his shoulder and stepped out from behind him, her eyes still locked on Tsume. The veterinarian took one step, and then another, until her fingers just barely rested on the boy behind her.

"Mom?" she whispered, and was so focused that she failed to notice Kiba rock as if he had been slapped. Kakashi was the only one paying enough attention to hear Iruka's whispered "Oh, shit" as the young woman ran to the older. Tsume folded the twenty-one year old in her arms as if her daughter were a child again, both women choked with tears as Hana all but babbled. "Mom, you're here. But, how…? You're dead. You died. How did… when… You're really here?!" She abruptly spun, calling out for her brother. "Kiba, it's mom, mom's okay."

But the boy backed away, eyes on the ground as he violently shook his head. "No… BULLSHIT! That's… she's… That woman is NOTHING to me! I don't KNOW her! This is BULLSHIT!" And Kiba bolted, head down as he raced down a side hall. Tsume flinched, but Hana looked absolutely stricken. The vet made a small, strangled sound, reaching out one hand almost desperately for her brother. She cast an agonized look back at her mother, hesitating between the two.

Iruka had no such hesitation, racing off after the teenager. Gai and Kakashi both stepped up to the two Inuzuka women, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. "Tsume, don't" Gai murmured.

"I think you should let Iruka handle this, Hana" Kakashi continued. "You're too close to the situation." And then, tears spilling over, Hana nodded. Her mother wrapped one arm around her daughter's shoulders as the men stepped a respectful distance away. Slowly, the children filtered out of the room, leaving the two women alone.


	32. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Okay, kind of a short chapter here, but I can't get into the next part - literally, it's on my computer, which isn't working right now. This was typed on a borrowed computer. So the next chapter may take a while. Hopefully not too long, though. *_crosses fingers_* Anyway, thanks as always to readers and to reviewers: **Tara La'Quinn, Auphora66, Yokura, iNsAnE nO bAkA, melissa, DarkRavie, Julieanna333, WhyMustIWrite, StormDarkPhoenix, x-smith, Beff **and **Rangerfan58.**

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (Ino) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

And you know, it suddenly occurs to me that I keep making my shinobi freeze up and cry and do all sorts of un-shinobi-ish things... Oh, well.

* * *

:_ Itachi slipped into the dark room without as much as a whisper of sound to betray his presence. His steps light, his breathing carefully controlled, the young Chunin – Jounin soon, assuming he passed his test next month – moved silently until he stood over the bed and, more importantly, its' occupant. He stood for a time, watching the rise and fall of the sleeper's chest, the other completely unaware of his presence. So caught up in his target was he, that it startled him slightly when a teenager stepped up beside him. _

_The older boy gave him a smile, and Itachi relaxed – until the Genin reached out and shook the sleeper. "Sasuke-kun, wake up now" came the gentle voice. _

_Horror-stricken, Itachi could only watch with a kind of helpless panic as the small face twisted in reluctance. "Don' wanna, Sensei… s'too early. G'way." _

_The hand shook a little harder. "Sasuke-kun, your bro-" _

_Itachi's paralysis broke, and he snatched the Genin's hand away from the sleeping toddler. "What are you DOING, Umino?!" he hissed, eyes wide as they darted back to the brother he had left behind months before. _

_Iruka only gave him a patient smile. "I'm waking Sasuke up so that he can visit with his brother, Itachi-san. He's missed you, and…" The teen trailed off as the boy shook his head violently, literally pushing the older one away from the little bed and towards the door. _

_"No! He can't, it's not… Just no." _

_Iruka rolled his eyes, and before the younger boy realized what he was planning, called out "Itachi's here." _

_Itachi froze as a soft gasp was followed by the rustle of bed sheets. A soft, sleepy voice called out. "Nii-san?" Heart pounding, Itachi turned against his own will to face the owner of that voice as the toddler rubbed the sleep from his dark eyes. Black eyes locked on that small, pale face, Itachi internally braced himself for the betrayed tears, the disgust and the anger that he __**knew**__ he would receive for having abandoned his baby brother almost five months ago. _

_Sasuke sat up, still rubbing his eyes with one sleeved arm, peering out into the dark as the child wondered if he had been dreaming his Sensei's voice. Then his eyes landed on the two boys standing near the door. Sasuke looked, blinked, and looked again, his tired five year old mind needing time to process the sight in front of him. But then his eyes lit up and he gasped again, scrambling out of bed only to fling himself at his big brother. Those little arms wrapped themselves as far around Itachi's waist as they would go, and the child buried his face in his brother's shirt, smiling uncontrollably. _

_Itachi stared, dumbfounded for once, at the little dark head tucked against his ribs. When he glanced up, he found Iruka looking at him with a soft smile. "You had nothing to be scared of, Itachi-kun. Family belongs together, so even if you do have some bumps in the road, it should always lead you back to each other." Itachi could only tip his head in silent thanks, and return his brother's hug. _:

-

Iruka allowed himself to slow his pace, knowing from experience that he wasn't fast enough to keep up with Kiba. But he also knew all of the places where the upset teenager was likely to hide, so giving the boy a few minutes to calm himself – not to mention sparing Iruka's own breath – wouldn't hurt anything. As he walked, the teacher reflected over Kiba's parting words, and he winced. He thought he knew what was probably wrong with the boy, but… Kiba had always been difficult to predict, second only to Naruto. Best to let him tell what was going on, if Iruka could coax it out of him.

The teacher checked a few of the closer, if less likely, hiding places, and then headed for the place he thought that the Inuzuka boy would have chosen. And as he ducked into the room, he had to fight a smile. This particular 'room' was still mostly cavern, with the rock walls still rough and jutting out at odd angles. Kiba had loved to climb and hide among the ledges as a child, and sure enough, Iruka could see the white tip of Akamaru's tail hanging over one of the larger stone shelves.

Wordlessly, knowing that the pair had already scented him, Iruka made his way up to sit beside the sulking teen. He reached out and laid a hand on Kiba's shoulder, unsurprised either when the boy initially flinched away – or when he leaned back into the touch. The three sat in silence for a while, the boy leaning against his dog, but one shoulder tipped back into Iruka's hand. The Chunin just sat, patiently rubbing small circles in the boy's shoulder with his thumb, waiting for 'his' boy to speak.

And as always, his patience was finally rewarded. "She's not my mom, Sensei."

A soft hum, understanding and non-judgmental, was the response.

The boy turned to face him then, confusion and desperation in his face. "She's my mother, I guess. Hana wouldn't lie, but… but she's not _my_ mom. I… I don't _know_ her. She's related, but… but you guys are family. For as long as I can remember, she didn't tuck me into bed – you did. She didn't tease me – Naruto or Sasuke did. Lee was the one who helped me fix my toys, and Hinata cooked us supper when you were out. _You guys_ are my family, and… and she can't just… just show up and take that away!" Kiba's eyes brimmed with tears even as his fists clenched, frustration and worry ringing in his voice as he all but plead for understanding.

A slow headshake, a soft _'tch'_ and a thump to the back of his head had the boy's eyes widening in shock. "S…Sensei?"

Iruka smiled as he draped his arm completely over the boy's shoulders, pulling the teenager closer. "Stupid. Of course we're family – no one and nothing will ever change that. It's something that _can't _be taken away, no matter what anyone else thinks. But Kiba, she's not trying to take you away from us. She just… wants in, I think. …You have a unique chance here, Kiba. Naruto will never know his parents; he won't ever have a mom. But you can. You have a chance at something precious, are you really willing to throw it away just like that?"

Another long silence, and the teen sighed. "You… it won't change, between all of us? Promise?"

To Kiba's surprise, Iruka shook his head. "No, Kiba, I don't. I can't promise you that things won't change. But I can promise you this – we'll still be there for you, for as long as we're allowed to stay in this world."

A moment of stillness, and then the atmosphere was broken by an outraged shout. "YOU IDIOT! What were you thinking?! You can't seriously have believed that we'd just drop you just cause you've got a mom now, could you've?! Just how stupid are you?!" As Kiba laughed, Iruka snapped his gaze up, only to find Naruto standing on the floor of the cavern with his arms crossed firmly over his chest. "Idiot" he muttered again.

Tension easing, Kiba jumped down from their perch with a fast but sincere 'thank you' to Iruka. And then Naruto hustled the boy out into the hall where the others were apparently waiting, because Iruka heard the blond's irritated declaration. "You guys won't _believe_ what he was so bent out of shape over!"

-

Many days' travel from Konoha, a bird landed on the windowsill of a small house in a quiet village, attracting the attention of the woman inside. The window was opened, and a scrap of paper was removed from the bird's leg before it flew away. The woman read the note, her eyes widening with every terse sentence. After she was finished, she blinked, and then read the note again just to be sure she had not misunderstood. And then an unholy smile lit up her face, and Anko raced through the house, calling out excitedly. "Ibiki! Ibiki, Raido's written us! Arm up, it's time to go!"

-

Back at Sanctuary, a mother and her daughter sat, talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Both tried to avoid the rather painful reunion just an hour ago, but Hana caught her mother up on all of the highlights of both her and Kiba's lives since the Jounin had last seen her little girl. Tsume, in return, gave a basic account of her time in ROOT's prison / training facility. And just as the conversation began to grow awkward, they both detected a familiar scent.

Two sets of dark eyes turned as Kiba stepped back into the room, Akamaru close by his side. The teenager's uncertainty was evident in the way he kept one hand buried in his partner's fur, but he sat down with the two women anyway. His expression was still guarded, but the open hostility had dropped, leaving a wary acceptance in its wake. He took a deep breath, and then looked Tsume in the eye. "I don't know you …Mother… but I think… I'd like to."

A long while later, Hana slipped out of the room, leaving her mother and her brother in deep discussion. Kiba's words had triggered her memory – she still had to warn Iruka.


	33. Chapter 30

**A/N:** Well, I got an answer faster than I thought I would - my computer's toast. But we did get it running long enough to get my files off of it, so I haven't lost everything I've written up. Anyway, it's another short chapter, but again, it's setting up for the longer chapters to come. So thank you to my patient readers, and especially to my reviewers:** Thealie, Hebi R., iNsAnE nO bAkA, melissa, VescaWithoutWings, Julieanna333, Yokura, DarkRavie, brolly501, Rangerfan58, Tara La'Quinn, x-smith, TheFinalCountdown, BookMaster3000, WhyMustIWrite, Auphora66 **and **singing ferret.**

**Code Names/Words:** Akai (Itachi) means red. Shiro (Hana) means white. Kin (Ino) means golden. Chairo (Chouji) means brown. Tetsu (Tenten) means iron. Aoi (Neji) means blue. Kuro (Shikamaru) means black. Momoiro (Sakura) means pink. Shinkirou means mirage, and Shinzui means core or essentials.

* * *

:_ Three teenagers – though two of them were barely so – gathered around the table. The two boys were solemn, while the girl looked slightly confused. "Um, not that I'm not glad to see you both or anything, but… why are we here?" _

_The older of the males smiled briefly, ruffling the younger teen's hair as he answered her. "Honestly, Hana, we're planning a war." Itachi's lips twitched, fighting a smile as Hana's jaw dropped. _

_"You, war? When? WHY?" _

_Iruka just patted the girl again. "Calm down, Hana. Not right now – not for a long time, hopefully. But if we're going to be acting against the Hokage – not to mention ROOT – then we have to be ready for the day that they find us. We're not going to attack them – we aren't completely stupid – we just need to have a plan to follow in case that day comes suddenly." _

_At his side, Itachi nodded, his expression serious again. "With my new position in ANBU, I should be able to get you warning if they mobilize against you, but it may not be much advance notice. There's a very real chance that we'll have to move quickly with little time for planning, so we need to have everything ready beforehand." _

_"Ohh… that makes sense." And so three dark heads bent over maps and papers, talking and drawing and assessing. Within a week, they had a basic battle strategy ready, only lacking the specific numbers and individuals who would take part in it. As they grew older, the Shinzui and the undercover children were slowly taught the plans. _

_That was why, years later, it utterly shocked Kakashi and the other Jounin when, upon arriving, Hana went straight to a specific cabinet and began pulling out battle plans. They might have needed to add a few new details, but the Chunin knew her role. It had been decided years ago. _:

-

Eight dark haired figures crowded around the table, the adults and Shikamaru – allowed to participate due to his understanding of strategy – quietly debating as they modified battle plans. The older of Sanctuary's children sat along the walls where they could listen in without being in the way. For once, even Naruto, Lee and Kiba were silent, their full attention on the words passing between their elders.

Though the original Sanctuary group – plus Kurenai and Tsume – kept snickering, and the other three men kept shaking their heads and muttering about having 'seen everything' now. Since it was likely to be Monday before they were found, they would strike on Sunday.

As Hana and Itachi left, temporarily accompanied by the runners who would take the message to the undercover children to come and get their orders, Iruka could only hope that they were ready.

-

Near the edge of the Fire Country, Tsunade looked up blearily at the foot in front of her face. Her mind temporarily slow from the combination of sake and little sleep, it took her a moment to realize that that foot was familiar. Very familiar. Unaffected by his former teammate's hangover, Jiraiya grinned down at the medic. "Alright, Tsunade. Time to call in that bet. Stand up, it's time to go."

His initial answer was an empty sake bottle in his face, but as he blinked the stars out of his eyes, the blonde woman cleared her blood of the remaining alcohol.

-

Inoichi stared in confusion as his daughter ran down the stairs, shrugging into her battle gear as she went. "Ino, princess… I thought you were spending the weekend with your friends?"

His bewilderment only worsened when Ino stopped, darted back and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "I am, but… Daddy, you might want to stay inside on Sunday, okay? There's kind of going to be a war. Loveyou-gottogo-bye!" And before he completely realized the significance of his little girl's words, she was out the door and gone.

He blinked in shock, his mind finally catching up with his ears. "Shi said that Shikamaru was… and Ino? So… _Chouji!_" And Inoichi was out the door, intent on catching up with the last member of the second Ino-Shika-Chou trio. Not to mention the other members of the first one.

-

A familiar chakra pulled at his attention, making Raido glance up – and immediately dodge to his left. The flying tan blur – revealed, upon stopping, to be a purple haired kunoichi – pouted at him. "You're no fun, Rai."

Before the burned Jounin could reply, a deeper voice cut into the conversation. "Anko, stop trying to glomp our allies. They don't appreciate being tackled." Ibiki's attention switched over to Raido. "Namiashi, I take it you will be joining us?"

A decisive nod, and Raido was accepted into the group of Konoha 'missing nin' returning to free their beloved Village.

-

"There is going to be a war on Sunday" the boy stated. The twin Clan leaders stared, taken off guard by Neji's declaration. "It's true" he insisted. "The rebels… they're real. We have been preparing for years, and we're finally ready to challenge ROOT and Danzo-san. Sunday is the day we take back our village, and make it a home again. And I'm not supposed to tell you, but… I personally was hoping that we might have the support of the Hyuuga Clan."

Hiashi and Hizashi wanted to argue, disbelief in both of their minds, but… There was a steel, a fire in Neji's eyes that neither adult had seen from anyone in far too long. They couldn't help but believe the boy.

"Hiashi-sama, your daughters are alright… both of them. Hinata has been hiding in Sanctuary all along, and we rescued Hanabi-sama. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before, but I -"

"Couldn't risk the wrong person overhearing" the older of the twin men whispered, his eyes wide and suspiciously shiny.

"Exactly, sir. I hope you can forgive us." Neji shifted slightly, looking intently at the ground. When he spoke again, his voice was sure… but he glanced up at Hizashi, something nearly pleading in the teenager's blue eyes. "The final battle preparations will start soon, Father, and I have to be there."

The man barely hesitated. "Then go. You are needed."

Relief flashed through the boy's eyes, and he smiled just a little at the pair. "Thank you. I, I'll see you in the new world." he promised. The boy bowed quickly but respectfully, and then turned to go.

"Neji," Hiashi called. The boy stopped and glanced back. "We will consider your request. But regardless of the Hyuuga Clan's decision, do not be surprised if your numbers grow during the battle. Your courage is likely to wake the fire in Konoha's people." Neji nodded, and then disappeared down the hall.

After a few seconds, the twins turned as one to look each other in the eye. "It is insanity" Hizashi warned, his resigned tone at odds with his words.

Hiashi responded decisively. "Perhaps, but… if the last ten years have been reality, then I would rather be stark raving mad."

"Agreed." The men shared one small, rueful smile. And then they reached for their battle gear.

-

As the children gathered underground, memorizing plans and laying out weapons, they were all too aware of the fact that they had just less than three days before they faced ROOT. However, they were completely unaware that there were rebellions forming without them.


	34. Chapter 31

**A/N:** Okay, biggest thing: no more flashbacks from here on out. I just don't think it would blend in well with the story at this point. Second, I lied. It's ONE MORE short chapter, and THEN the bigger action chapters. Sorry, it just works out that way - you'd all hate me if I stopped at the point I have written right now. Anyway, we're at the 'final' battle now, so here we go...

And thanks go out to: **kerumica, Hebi R., DarkRavie, melissa, Willow-Bee the Cat, CW, deerang88, Yokura, iNsAnE nO bAkA, Rangerfan58, Julieanna333, Chibi **(not myself, someone else)**, Tidmag, Auphora66, Tara La'Quinn, TheFinalCountdown **and **WhyMustIWrite.**

* * *

Inoichi watched carefully as his family – minus his daughter – assembled in the halls. The shinobi among them spoke in hushed whispers, their voices eager and their faces alight with happiness and hope. Those who had been suspected of being willingly involved in the Godaime's reign were not present, various excuses having been found to send them out on various errands.

Those who had been told only moments ago about the rebellion's existence reacted in one of three ways. Some were clearly shocked, an almost dazed expression in their eyes as they blindly followed orders – these were mostly civilian adults. Others, again mostly those adults, reacted with worry for their loved ones.

But the children – even those who had never known the old Konoha, and thus had not believed themselves oppressed in the new one – reacted with glee. The young ones darted this way and that, snatching up last minute things they had forgotten to pack, gossiping excitedly with friends and generally getting underfoot. Inoichi only smiled wider as a low couch in one of the sitting rooms was knocked over by a hyper Academy student jumping onto the back of it.

Once he herded the group out, he paused to look back into the now-empty main house. Furniture overturned, pictures knocked off the walls, a… charred spot? _'Huh? When did I miss someone casting a fire jutsu?' _He shook his head – the place looked like a battle had been fought inside of it. But no matter, cleaning was the last thing on their minds right now.

He didn't even bother to lock the door behind himself.

-

The tension in the air was thick enough to punch through – if you had an exploding tag. As the soft bell rang in the corridors, most of the Shinzui did not open their eyes. They didn't need to – they'd been awake already. As Sanctuary's fighters rolled out of bed, roommates shared nervous glances and determined nods. The children reached for their weapons, the only sounds being the rustle of cloth and the clink of steel. They struck with the sun – it was almost time.

-

The group moved quietly, much more so than one would expect judging from their sizes. As the pre-dawn light filtered through the streets, the Akimichi clan could be found barricading their children and civilian kin into one of the many caverns beneath the Hokage mountain. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers alike hugged, those who remained wishing well to those who returned to the streets.

As the last non-combatant stepped back into the shadows of the tunnels, Chouza turned to the shinobi gathered near him. A rare, almost predatory smile spread across the man's face. He thrust one armor clad arm into the air, his spear catching the light as he rallied his clan. "This is the last time we submit. Never again will we do nothing, never again allow ourselves to be pushed around and belittled. Hooray for big-boned people!"

Beyond the range of ROOT's sight, thirty-four Akimichi warriors echoed his cry.

-

Itachi hesitated, his hand on the front door. Flat dark eyes lifted to one of the many trophies lining the walls of his house, but it wasn't the award that held his attention. Rather, it was the reflection in it. The Uchiha prodigy studied the mournful face of his mother, silently debating. _'I shouldn't. It is an enormous risk, and she supported them in my youth.' _Itachi could not honestly say that he loved his mother. She had been such a small, almost insignificant part of his childhood that he held little fondness for the woman.

But she was… tolerable. Much more so than the majority of his clan. A vague sense of… not guilt, exactly, but… regret, settled into his chest. _'But Sasuke has been asking about our parents since he had been gone long enough to have forgotten them. And even if she never had much to do with me, she __**did**__ love him. I remember, it surprised me so much that she took his disappearance so very hard…' _Repressing a sigh, mentally calling himself ten kinds of idiot, he turned back into the house. "Mother."

The kunoichi looked up, startled, but tried to hide her worry behind a smile for her son. "Yes, Itachi? Do you need something?"

"Yes. The youngest children, and the weak ones… will you keep them today?" He spun out a story with just enough truth to convince as she looked at him in abrupt confusion – and a trace of worry. "There are rumors circulating in ANBU. It is said that there may be trouble today. Father will not care about the 'useless' weaker children, but… I do not wish them to end up lost in the chaos if the rumors prove true."

Eyes wide, face paling slightly, Mikoto nodded. "Of course. You're right, your father would not approve of being so careful of them. I won't tell him."

Itachi nodded, turned on his heels and walked back to the door. He told himself that that most certainly _was not_ guilt that dropped in his gut as he heard the words his mother had probably not meant to be overheard.

"Itachi, if you had been given the chance, you would have made such a wonderful older brother."

-

Many miles from Konoha, Ibiki suppressed a sigh. Giving up on sleeping any longer, he stood up with an ease of movement that belied his appearance. Casting a swift glance around the temporary camp site, he spoke quietly but firmly. "Enough. I know you are all awake, so we might as well get started already."

Without another word, the sixteen Konoha missing nin broke camp and set out. "You know," Anko muttered as she fell into a ground-eating pace beside an older Jounin "at this rate, we should make Konoha before noon." The man simply nodded his agreement.

-

One last time, the rebels looked quietly over their assignments. Most of the young children were assigned to what they called 'herding' duty, taking the civilians aside and guiding them into pre-designated 'safe' zones. The middle ages moved in groups, forming teams to distract and destroy the enemy. The Shinzui were largely backup, ranging in ones or twos as support for whoever needed it. But the Clan children, particularly the code-named group – they were the rally points. They were the ones on whom the entire venture rested.

Sanctuary could not – could never – defeat ROOT alone. No matter how much they trained, how strong they became, there were simply not enough of them. Every day that passed, ROOT gathered more and stronger support, gaining strength faster than Sanctuary could match. If they were going to win, then they _needed_ Konoha's shinobi to rally behind them. If the coded group succeeded, then Konoha as a whole would rise against ROOT. If they failed, then Sanctuary's rebels were marching to their deaths.

It was a risk they were willing to take.

-

Shikaku grinned, the expression as vicious as any of his wife's. But silent. He made a slight gesture, and darkly clad figures spread off to the sides, fanning out into the streets. Each Clan shinobi who passed by gave their leader an answering grin, excitement and anticipation shining in their eyes. All they had to do now was to wait for the signal.

-

Shino glanced up, his insects alerting him to another's presence despite the other's silence. A wry smirk flickered at the edges of Akai's lips as he nodded, tossing a scroll at the boy. Shino caught it easily. "Is this…?"

The ANBU nodded. "Our formations. Your Clan can deploy where they like – though we'd prefer if they fill in the gaps in our defenses." Shino glanced down briefly, instructing his insects to alert his Clan. When he glanced back up, Akai had vanished.

-

And as the sunlight reached the faces carved on the Hokage Mountain, the children poured into the streets.

* * *

**A/N 2: **You know, for some reason I had 3 Doors Down's 'Citizen Soldiers' stuck in my head while I was writing this chapter, and now I can't hear that song without having themental image of all these shinobi moving into position and fighting...


	35. Chapter 32

**A/N:** Okay, here we go! *Warning: authoress is not very good at fight scenes*. I've been listening to "Frontline" by Pillar plus "Land of Confusion" and "Indestructible" by Disturbed while I was writing this and the next chapter. Fun stuff. And thanks go out to: **kerumica, deerang88, Thealie, Yokura, DarkRavie, iNsAnE nO bAkA, singing ferret, Rangerfan58, Julieanna333, micah.n10, melissa, WhyMustIWrite, Sinistra_Negra, Tara La'Quinn **and **oOforeverobsessedOo**. Do you guys realize that this thing has **over 425 reviews?!** *is astounded*

* * *

The instant that the signal was given, Sanctuary's fighters raced into the streets, splitting off into their pre-determined groups and intent upon their tasks. Hanabi gestured silently, her five-child group taking a small side street. The kids dashed up to the doors of the houses, small hands banging on doors until the owners stumbled out.

The civilians were immediately warned, hustled along in the center of the young shinobi team and herded towards specific buildings, or the main entrance of Sanctuary itself. Blinking in confusion, but understanding the urgency, Konoha's non-combatants complied easily.

-

Kei straightened, the sharp eyes of the ROOT operative catching the motion as what appeared to be a swarm of people suddenly running on his streets. Catching sight of the Leaf symbol etched onto the hitai-ate of each runner, the man scowled – and reached out to sound the alarm. The rebels had finally shown themselves.

-

Ino tossed a wide grin to Chouji and Shikamaru as the trio jumped from rooftop to rooftop, and then waved as she split away from them towards the sector that her Clan had largely settled in. Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he followed his larger friend, knowing that their families lived closer together, and that it would be easier to convince Chouza if he was with the heavyset young man. And then they could go to the Nara's – hopefully, his father had spread the word and they wouldn't have to waste time convincing their Clans that there really was a rebellion.

-

Danzo glared at the messenger in his office, causing the white-faced young woman to tremble where she knelt. "If the rebels are moving, then ROOT will respond appropriately. In other words, _get out there and __**destroy them**_!" "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

-

Lee smiled, the expression almost as wild as any of Naruto or Kiba's due to all of the adrenaline running through his veins. The teenager ducked under a kunai strike, lashing out with one foot to catch the operative he faced squarely in the side.

The man slid back, breath catching sharply in his throat as the powerful blow fractured a number of ribs. Lee didn't give the man time to recover, but launched into a flurry of fast, sharp strikes that forced his opponent back even as it caused damage. As the man cursed, Lee only grinned more widely.

-

Across Konoha, ROOT operatives poured out of their bases and barracks, moving into the street to face the rebels. And as one operative rounded a street corner, she found herself face to face with a dark-haired, tattooed woman. Tsume snarled as she threw herself into the fray, instantly being besieged by no less than four ROOT operatives. The wild woman just laughed as she lashed out, no longer constrained by any form of shackles. The operatives began to fall quickly.

-

Unknown to the children and their teachers, they weren't the only obstacles that ROOT found itself facing. As the operatives exited the bases in southern Konoha, the found themselves facing the Akimichi Clan. To the west found the Nara clan cutting throats from the shadows, and in the north, operatives were forced to suddenly turn against one another by the Yamanakas.

-

Huddled deep underground, Haruno Aimi held hands tightly with her husband. She didn't understand where all of these rebels had come from, but she prayed to all the powers in existence that they would win. After all, those ROOT bastards had probably taken her baby girl, and she dearly wanted them to pay.

-

Chouji and Shikamaru dropped in front of Chouza's front door, the boys casting each other quick grins as they burst through the door… and stared. The house was in ruins, furniture overturned and pictures knocked off of the walls. Eyes wide in shock, the two stepped slowly into the front hall, looking numbly at the destruction of the larger boy's home. "Chou, there's no blood, so maybe… Oh."

Chouji dropped to his knees, reaching out one trembling hand to brush his fingers over a large water stain on the wood. Neither boy could tell what sort of liquid had soaked into the floors because of the varnish used, but both feared the worst for the kind-hearted Akimichi family. Shikamaru looked worriedly at Chouji, reaching out to put a hand on his friend's shoulder, but the larger boy shoved it away causing the tactician to stumble and hit the floor.

"They killed them…" the brunet whispered, his shaky voice becoming stronger and more rage-tinted with every word. "Those bastards killed them, didn't they? I… _I'll __**destroy **__them!_" Shikamaru cursed under his breath as his best friend jumped to his feet, fury fuelling his movements until he had left Shikamaru behind.

The boy hesitated, torn between his mission and his friend, but finally turned to continue to his own Clan's home. If left alone, Chouji could die – but if the mission failed, they would _all_ die. And besides, the brunet clearly didn't want his friend with him right now.

-

Miles outside of Konoha, a sixteen man party stopped, focusing their senses as they felt the spikes in chakra that indicated a battle. A very _large_ battle, considering the number of chakra signatures.

In the front of the group, Ibiki cursed, and then called out to the shinobi behind him. "It's started. Let's pick it up, people, or it will be over before we get there." The group altered their pace from a ground-eating, but long-sustainable pace to a much faster run. By leaving the slower pace, they would now arrive hours sooner than estimated.

-

As reports poured in of fighting in the street, the ANBU began arming themselves for battle. Until the descriptions of their enemies began coming in. Hare froze, and then snatched her teammates' arms. "That's him, that's Kakashi."

Boar spoke up next, raising his voice to catch the attention of all the squads. "Everyone, wait. These… may not be enemies." The others hesitated, glancing from Kakashi's old squad to the ROOT liaisons. And despite their superiors' words, they waited.

When it soon became clear, from their own men in the field, that the 'enemy' was only targeting those more loyal to Danzo than to Konoha… Hare whooped, and the room buzzed until Drake jumped up on his desk. "Come _on_, everyone! What do you stand for? It's crunch time, so who are you fighting for?!"

As some of the more excitable members cheered, a sudden _'thud'_ was heard in the back of the room, and all eyes turned – only to find Itachi calmly pulling a kunai out of a ROOT liaison's back. Black eyes glanced up, shining with a rare excitement. "If you want to know about the rebels, I'll gladly tell you. But first…" Those eyes shifted, and his voice was almost teasing as he spoke.

"Drake, get off the desk, you idiot. You're making a wonderful target of yourself."

-

Hagane, Kotetsu, for one of the few times in his life, hesitated. He watched the battle uncertainly, torn between fighting alongside those who were supposedly his allies but acted against his principles, and the children who were supposedly the enemy but wore the symbol of all that he believed. And then he saw one of the children move suddenly, almost taking a kunai in the shoulder as she shoved a civilian out of the line of fire.

Kotetsu straightened, the confusion clearing from his eyes. He reached up, ripped the flame hitai-ate from his forehead, and threw it on the ground as he moved to join the battle. He gave a weak smile to the strange girl. "You don't mind if I play, do you?" he asked, only half joking. His weak smile became blinding as the girl grinned back at him.

"Not at all!"

-

Chouji roared, slamming into the ROOT squad with all the force of a hurricane. The normally gentle boy's grief and anger, when combined with his Meat Tank technique, made him all but impervious to the attacks launched upon him by the three agents. Their kunai simply bounced off of the rolling teen, and he crashed through one of the operative's fire jutsu as if it were nothing. He slammed full force into one of the men, ricocheted him into the wall and then slammed into him again.

Tucked safely inside of his own mass, Chouji gave a grim smile as he felt bones crunch beneath the weight and speed of his attack.

-

Outside of the current battle zone, two pairs of dark eyes locked, one flashing fury and the other steadily determined. The small children nearby cowered in the far corner of the room. Finally one of the two spoke again, his voice a low growl. "_**What**_ did you say?"

Mikoto tipped her chin up defiantly. "I said no. I will not fight these rebels. They're _right_, Fugaku. The Hokage is destroying Konoha, breaking its' spirit even as he builds its' strength. I refuse to continue to sacrifice my people for our Clan's power. I won't fight against you, but I won't fight with you either." She trembled inside, but she refused to keep doing nothing.

Her firstborn had been all but sacrificed to feed her Clan's ambition, and her baby lost because they had deemed it more important to fall in with the Hokage's forces than to protect their children during the chaos. It would not happen again, Mikoto would not allow it. A long moment clashing wills, of silently weighing each other's intent – and for the first time, Mikoto truly wondered if her husband would actually strike her. He could kill her easily, she knew.

"I will deal with you later" Fugaku practically hissed. And Mikoto slumped slightly, fighting away tears as the man she had once loved walked away with a sneer.

-

"Come on, you bastards!" Asuma called, an unholy glee lighting his eyes. "Come and see how hot Konoha's Will of Fire can burn!" The reinstated Jounin wore an old weapons pouch and a savage smile. Right underneath a shiny new Leaf hitai-ate.

As the Jounin ran head-first into a squad of ROOT operatives, he was surprised to find a stranger joining him from one of the nearby buildings. But he just called out a friendly greeting. "Welcome to the rebellion, comrade!"

-

Footsteps raced down the corridor, the messenger bursting into the office. "Danzo-sama, we just received word – the ANBU have revolted! The liaisons to the squads were all killed!"

Another voice called out as a different messenger approached. "Hokage-sama, the shinobi are rioting in the streets. It's like a war zone out there!"

Danzo's hands curled, fingers digging into the wood of the balcony railing. "Konoha's Will is flaming" he murmured, eyes trailing out over the city, lingering on the bright bursts of light or dust or sound that indicated a powerful jutsu in use.

"Hokage-sama! We have report of-" The wood began to splinter under the man's grip.


	36. Chapter 33

**A/N: **Okay, for the record, I have no idea how Danzo fights. But the bad guys always seem to have swords, so I gave him a sword. Almost done now, only two or three chapter left. Thanks go out to: **Belladonna-LaMorte, iNsAnE nO bAkA, deerang88, The Laughing Phoenix, Wulfkun, kerumica, melissa, Yokura, singing ferret, DarkRavie, VescaWithoutWings, Silvergem88, Thealie, Tara La'Quinn, Hebi R., incensedance, x-smith, Fritter **and **Rangerfan58.**

With that said… *sets out chapter… runsandhides*

* * *

Chouji roared again, staggering slightly as the pain from his wounds finally made itself felt. Rage could only carry one so far, and the heavyset boy's had eventually run out. He glared up at his enemies anyway, his eyes filled with tears even as he snarled and launched himself at his opponent. Seeing the man slam backwards even as he stumbled to his knees, he prepared himself for the attack he could see being set up – but it never came.

The other's eyes widened, blood leaking out of his mouth as a sharp point burst out of the front of his chest. The point vanished, the man falling as the spear was pulled out from behind, and Chouji was left blinking in shock and disbelief as an aunt gave him a smile. "Hey, Chou-kun. Your dad's worried about you, you know. Asked us all to keep an eye out for you while we were out here."

The boy climbed to his feet, his voice breaking with hope as he spoke. "Dad's… okay? But, the house…"

"Oh, _that_" his aunt looked a little sheepish – or at least, as sheepish as an armored woman covered in blood can look – "Well, we kind of got a little overexcited when we found out there was a rebellion going on, and that we'd get to help take down the Hokage. But yeah, as far as I know Chouza's fine. Now come on, let's go do our part to end this mess."

Chouji's face lit up, and he followed the ex-Chunin eagerly.

-

Unknown to the boy in question, one of ROOT's best was observing the battle, wide eyes held in captive fascination by the conflicting feelings on the fighter's face. Sai's thoughts were jumbled, the confusion caused by the sheer _intensity _of the larger boy's emotions making him hesitant to join the battle even though his comrades were losing. He couldn't help the small, traitorous part of himself that wondered, '_what would it be like to __**feel**__ so much…?_'

Unsure of his path for the first time, Sai did nothing, only watching in awe as the other two ROOT agents were defeated by one supposedly 'weak' rebel. '_Danzo-sama always said that emotions were a weakness, but… this boy… this boy seems to be gaining strength from them. Why is that…?_' Sai sat, hidden on his rooftop, even after the fighters had left the street below. It wasn't until a shadow fell across him that he turned, and looked directly into the eyes of another one of the rebels.

-

Just outside of Konoha's walls, a sixteen man group raced through the trees, the slender kunoichi in front ducking down at the wall and pushing bricks in a specific order and with precise timing. Everyone held their breath, and Hayate murmured quietly. "Come on, don't let them have found our back door… _yes!_" The sickly-looking Jounin hissed in excitement as a section of brick fell away, revealing a small tunnel in the westernwall.

Sharing a triumphant glance and an eager grin, the missing nin charged back into their home, killing intent radiating from them all.

-

Iruka stifled his panting, fighting to ignore the stitch in his side as he double checked to make certain that he really had lost the ROOT squad that had been chasing him. The Chunin worried about his kids and his friends – he hadn't seen more than glimpses of a few of them ever since he had gotten separated over an hour ago – but he knew that it was too late for second thoughts not. At this point, whatever would be would be, and all of the worrying in the world wouldn't change it. All he could do was complete his part of the mission – take down as many of Danzo's supporters as he could.

Once sure that he had lost his pursuers – there had been too many of them for him to hope to fight – he ducked around a corner and jumped for the rooftops. He leapt to another roof, and promptly drew his kunai as he found himself facing a lone ROOT operative. But… he stopped, hesitating as the other turned to face him. The operative was only a boy, no older than Naruto, but what caught Iruka was the look in the boy's eyes. It was a confused, directionless expression that he had seen too many times in his children, and it wrenched at his heart even coming from this enemy child.

And then the boy spoke. "I don't… understand… how can they fight so _hard?_" he asked, his tone both despairing and pleading, like a lost child begging for direction. Iruka melted, even as his shinobi training screamed at him for being an idiot. Like so many years before, Iruka held out his hand to a confused child – and just like back then, a smaller hand was tentatively placed in his.

-

Hinata and Sakura fought hard, trying desperately to push ROOT's forces away from one of the buildings currently serving as a shelter for civilians caught in the battlefield. But there were just so many. Both of the girls were bleeding from multiple wounds, but neither was giving up. Sakura gestured for the other girl to fall back for now, taking advantage of a momentary lull in the fighting to at least partially heal or bandage the worst of their wounds before the reinforcements they had seen coming actually arrived.

And then the new squad showed up, and both girls knew that they were hopelessly out of their league. One on one, they each kicked butt. Two on one they could both handle, and even three on one, they could hold their own. But with this new addition, the girls, already wounded and tiring, were outnumbered four to one. They shared a stubborn glance, bracing themselves to take out as many of their enemies as they could before they fell.

And when the enemy surged forward – they were thrown back, slammed into by a… piece of… wall? Both girls turned to look in the direction that the flying slab of plaster had come from. A blonde woman, long hair pulled back into a two-tailed ponytail, stepped out in front of them. "How the hell did I let myself get talked into this?" the woman muttered. The blonde glanced over as a younger, black haired woman jumped off of a nearby roof and landed beside her. "Shizune, remind me to kick that bastard's ass when this is over."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." As 'Tsunade' charged after the ROOT operatives, 'Shizune' glanced back at the two girls, sharp eyes taking in the many wounds – as well as the bodies of the ROOT operatives who had been unlucky enough to face the girls when they were fresh. "Are you both alright?"

The girls nodded, a little numb. Shizune gave them a quick smile before running after her comrade. Hinata turned wide eyes to Sakura. "Who was _that_?"

Sakura shrugged, bewilderment written on her face. "I don't know, but…" both girls cringed as the blonde sent three ROOT agents flying with one punch. "I'm glad she's on our side." Hinata nodded slowly.

-

The squad ran, racing to intercept the rebel team en route to eleventh avenue. The leader took a shortcut through a small alley – and came flying back out of it. The rest of the squad dropped into combat formation, and stared in shock. What seemed to be half of the Hyuuga clan was assembled in the streets, their battle gear on and their gazes hard.

Two identical men slid back into a low stance, the one on the right curling his fingers in an unmistakable gesture. _'Come'._

-

Shikamaru stumbled, dropping into a fast foot sweep as he struggled to avoid the new enemy who just dropped in on him. Literally. He had to release the Shadow Bind on one of his earlier opponents, leaving him rather disadvantaged at five to one against him. He dodged a fire jutsu, sending a pair of shuriken flying, one lodging in the throat of the closest man even as he slid back out of range. Now four to one.

He braced himself, eyes flicking over the street, mind racing to come up with a plan. And then – he blinked, surprised as a kunoichi in full battle gear dropped between him and his enemies. He quickly looked over the woman – and for the first time in his life, Shikamaru gaped, bug eyed. His voice was high and incredulous. "_MOM?!_"

The young tactician spun to his left, eyes widening even more as his father dropped down beside him. "Need a hand, Shika?"

"You, when, how? What are you two _doing_ here?"

"We decided to help." Yoshino shot a hard glare over her shoulder at her son. "But you are in a _lot_ of trouble once this is over, young man."

Shikamaru responded in the manner of males the world over, his voice small and somewhat dazed. "Yes, ma'am."

-

Danzo turned, sending a cool look to the young woman currently serving to intercept messengers and organize the information before reporting it to him. His voice was hard as he spoke. "Megumei, hold any further messages. I am joining the battle."

The girl was flustered, but stammered out the appropriate response. "Y-yes, Hokage-sama." The Hokage simply picked up his katana and brushed by her.

-

Neji silently cursed ROOT to the most painful deaths he could think of as he fought. He and Lee had encountered Tenten trying to hold off an entire squad by herself, and – though he had to admit, she had developed some good techniques since the last time he had seen her spar – they had had to immediately drop down to help. They had killed over a dozen of them, but ROOT's forces just kept coming, and the three were quickly outnumbered.

Just when it seemed like there would never be a break, a loud _'pop'_ sounded in their ears. A ridiculous amount of smoke billowed out between the three and their enemies, and when it cleared, the teens were left looking at the biggest frog they had ever imagined. And then a man, looking middle-aged despite his white hair, jumped down and landed in front of them.

Neji broke through his shock first. "Who the hell are you?!"

A disturbingly wide smile broke out on the man's tattooed face, and he struck a strange pose. "Why, I am Jiraiya-sama, the Legendary – ack!" the man yelped the last part as he dodged a kunai flung at his face by a ROOT agent. "Introductions later!"

As the man charged into the battle, the three teenagers looked blankly at each other. "Weirdo" Tenten muttered. Lee nodded fervently.

-

The ROOT squad moved purposefully down the road, intending to surround the small group of rebels reported on Fourth Street. They rounded the corner – and pulled up short. They faced what appeared to be an eight foot high wall of insects behind four trench-coat clad shinobi.

Their faces must have been truly a sight – had the buzzing not been so loud, they might have heard a low chuckle coming from the usually stoic Aburame group.

-

Ino's hands trembled, her breath coming hard and fast. She knew that she was nearing chakra exhaustion, but to stop fighting now was death, and she didn't want to die. She ducked under another strike, kunai flashing out to score a deep gash across one opponent's gut, spilling intestines onto the rooftop. As she slipped behind him, moving quickly out of range, she stumbled to her knees.

She jumped back to her feet, raising hands in preparation to attack. She thought quickly, trying to find the most effective but least chakra-draining jutsu that she knew. Her fingers began the motions of a simple jutsu – and her opponents seemed to go berserk. Their limbs flailed, and from the expressions on their faces, she knew it wasn't intentional.

Her eyes lit up as she realized that she was seeing the effect of her clan's Mind-Body Confusion technique. Movement from a rooftop to the left caught her attention just before a familiar voice called out. "I've got this one, princess."

She stared. "Dad?!"

-

Kakashi allowed himself a small smirk as yet another ROOT operative fell before him, and then glanced around. He drawled, indulging himself with dry humor. "Maa, seems like I'm out of playmates… guess I'll just have to go and find some more."

"Or you could fight _me_, Hatake."

Kakshi dropped back into a fighting stance, the hairs on the back of his neck raising as the voice spoke from his left. He hadn't sensed the other's approach at all. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the face he had never seen in person, but had still seen every day – the face of the Godaime, Konoha's tyrant and his greatest enemy. "Yes," he retorted, his voice still dry but sharper now. "Yes, I could do that."

A moment of stillness, and then, as if at some hidden signal, both men jumped forwards. Steel clashed against steel, Kakashi's kunai pushing against Danzo's sword. Someone looking from the outside would not have been able to make out much – the two men matched move for move, each strike was blocked and each counterstrike was avoided. _'How the hell…?'_ Kakashi wondered, startled at the older shinobi's ability to match him so well.

The bewilderment must have shown in his eyes, because Danzo laughed. "Your Sharingan eye allows you to predict my movements, Hatake, but my decades of experience allows for the same. But unlike with you, this ability is mine _by right_." And with those words, the man appeared to vanish.

Kakashi had just enough time to recognize the technique – _'kawarimi?!' _– and then the old shinobi was behind him. Even as Kakshi twisted around, trying to duck out of the strike he could _feel_ coming, he felt a sudden impact against the back of his head. The Copy Ninja had the briefest sense of falling, and then his sight went dark.

-

A few rooftops away, Naruto glanced up from his own opponents just in time to see Kakashi go down. Time seemed to slow for the blond, everything happening in slow motion as his silver haired teacher fell. And then the man hit the ground, and the world went red.

"YOU BASTARD!!!"


	37. Chapter 34

**A/N: **Gyah, I am so sorry! I said I'd get this up this afternoon, but I got called in to work. Anyway, thanks go out to: **Belladonna-LaMorte, Fritter, incensedance, iNsAnE nO bAkA, The Laughing Phoenix, deerang88, BookMaster3000, melissa, SilverWhiteDragon, micah.n10, Hebi R, singing ferret, VescaWithoutWings, Beff, Julieanna333, Rangerfan58, DarkRavie, Wolfkun, Silvergem88, Tara La'Quinn, Cricket, illyia, nila, x-smith, Thealie, oOforeverobsessedOo, Yokura **and **Kasumi9-9.**

Just to remind: **Shinzui** means core or essential.

* * *

All across the Fire Country, people outside of Konoha reacted as the wave of malevolent chakra swept across the land. Babies cried, and children hesitated before giving in and running back to their homes, overcome with an unreasonable sense of dread. Hands fumbled delicate tasks, and shivers raced up spines, causing the people to glance fearfully around them in search of the sudden disturbance.

In a small tea shop, however, one person only raised a single brow. "Hm," the cloaked figure murmured. "It seems the Kyuubi vessel is not as dead as we had believed. Interesting…"

-

Inside of the Hidden Leaf Village, that reaction was much stronger. Battles all across the city stumbled to a halt, rebels and ROOT alike turning their attention to the greatest concentration of that horrible chakra. Many dropped weapons in their shock, and all trembled under the suffocating weight of that vicious killing intent.

All had paled, but only one man spoke. A scarred Chunin gasped, his voice reflecting his shock and concern. "Naruto…" Iruka whispered, his eyes seeming almost glazed. He snapped back to attention when the boy at his side shifted uncomfortably, trying to remain stoic beneath that awful feeling.

"Stay here!" he blurted, snapping when the boy opened his mouth to argue. "I said _STAY HERE_!" And he moved quickly, faster then he had thought himself capable of. _'Please' _he prayed silently. _'Please don't let that be what I think it is… Please be alright, Naruto.'_

-

Iruka may have been the first, but he wasn't the only one who recognized that chakra.

Hinata drew in a startled breath, her pale eyes widening as her Byakugan detected the same red chakra she had glimpsed in Naruto over the years. Blocks away, Neji also spotted the unique red tint. Kiba and Hana picked up the scent of their friend, mingled with something that sent an instinctive shiver down their spines. All four raced to help their friend, and as they ran, the rest of the Shinzui spotted and joined them.

Asuma, Gai – and, for that matter, every Konoha shinobi old enough to remember the Kyuubi's attack – instantly recognized that chakra. But unlike the others who took an instinctive step back, those allied directly with Sanctuary moved _towards_ the soul-crushing feeling.

-

Danzo stumbled, his breath catching in his throat as he felt a crushing sense of impending doom drop abruptly on him. He hadn't even heard the scream of the blond boy who suddenly appeared in front of him. His one good eye widened as he had the brief impression of blond hair, blue eyes… and a crackling red haze, surrounding a boy who seemed to have fangs, claws, and… whisker marks.

If he had held any doubts as to the identity of his wild attacker, they were blown away by the sight of that red chakra shifting – into what appeared to be two red tails waving behind the boy. Konoha's Godaime found himself frantically blocking and dodging, as the Jinchuuriki moved with an inhuman speed.

He brought up a kick directly into the creature's face, but it merely tumbled a short way and leapt back up onto it's feet, seeming unaffected by the power behind the strike. The creature darted back towards him, attempting to drag a kunai across his ribs. Danzo blocked, a twist of his wrist managing to disarm the creature, but it drew its' arm back in. With a shock, Danzo felt claws rip into the flesh over his left hip.

The Godaime shoved the Jinchuuriki away again, and this time the creature disappeared. Feeling that smothering chakra appear behind him, he spun, barely blocking the claws swiping at his face. But he couldn't avoid the knee brought up into his gut. The man doubled over – and that was all it took.

He was given no time to recover, but was struck over and over again, each blow connecting with brutal force. Danzo distinctly felt ribs break, along with his left humerus. He bit back an oath as his jaw cracked, and could only gasp in pain as his right kneecap shattered. Gashes opened up seemingly on their own, jagged claw marks running along his face, his arms and his torso.

One kick threw him into the air, and as another flung him to the edge of another rooftop, his pain-hazed mind had one clear thought. _'I knew… I should have had that __**thing**__ killed first… and now, my one mistake… is my destruction.'_

-

Tsunade had frozen, gasping for air as that wave of chakra had crashed down on her. But she had forced it aside, making herself analyze the chakra signature. Finally she had moved, searching through the stunned city until she found the one shinobi she was looking for.

She landed beside him – and smacked him over the head. "Jiraiya, you idiot, that chakra is still half human. That means that the seal hasn't broken yet – so _get over there and __**make sure it**__**doesn't**__!_"

The Toad Sage had yelped at the strike, and he yelped again at her words. "Gyah, right!" Tsunade shook her head, muttering "idiot" as she watched him speed away.

-

All but forgotten, a pale haired figure stirred. The shinobi _knew_ that chakra – it had haunted his nightmares for years – and feeling it now utterly terrified him. _'Kyuubi…'_ he thought, but… that… wasn't right. '_No, not Kyuubi now… Naruto?_' The word – _'name?'_ – brought to mind laughing blue eyes shining under blond bangs.

With a groan, the shinobi pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, trying to think through the blinding pain in his head. He tensed as someone landed beside him, but relaxed again as he heard Gai's familiar voice. "Easy, my friend. It looks like you've taken a rather nasty blow to your head, there."

Ignoring the advice, Kakashi sat up, putting one hand over his Sharingan eye to minimize the pain as much as possible. As Gai helped him to his feet, more people landed near him, and he heard Asuma mutter in concern. "Damn, what do we do about… Shit! What the _hell_ does he think he's doing?!"

Kakashi forced his mind to focus then, just in time to see Naruto lunge after the Hokage – and Iruka place himself between the two.

-

'_It's still Naruto'_ Iruka reminded himself, even as he braced for an impact. _'The Kyuubi may be closer to the surface, but it's still Naruto. …I have to stop this.'_ Somehow, Iruka simply _knew_, deep in his gut, that if he let Naruto kill while under the demon's influence then the boy would never be the same. Which was why he placed himself between the blond and his enemy.

The Jinchuuriki – _'Naruto'_ he reminded himself again – skidded to a stop before him, snarling as he snatched the Chunin up by the collar in a shocking display of strength. "It's okay, Naruto" he murmured, trying not to let the boy see him trembling. "It's okay, it's done. Naruto, please, calm down. Don't do this, Naruto, please. Come back, okay? Come back to us, please, Naru-chan." Iruka pleaded, searching those red eyes for any trace of the boy he had raised, more afraid for the teenager than for himself.

Naruto snarled, baring sharp teeth as his fist tightened, beginning to choke the teacher with the collar of his vest. Despite gasping for breath, Iruka reached out and wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders. "Naruto… please."

-

The Jinchuuriki hesitated, its mind rioting with confusion and conflict. It could feel the urge – the _need_ – to rend, to destroy. It felt the rage inside of it, but… the creature in front of it… disturbed it. The fragile being brought feelings of… fondness, trust, comfort. It saw the discomfort on that scarred face, but felt the warmth of the arms around it. The man's voice made it pause, the concern and… love?... keeping it from killing him to get to its enemy.

And then, other voices, other feeling-bringing faces.

A girl, wide pale eyes and short dark hair. "Naruto-kun, it's enough. Please, you've done enough."

A boy, dark hair and red markings, a large white dog behind him. "Yeah, Naruto. Quit showing off."

Another girl, pink-haired and upset. "Naruto, stop it. You're freaking me out."

Another boy, dark hair and large dark brows. "Naruto, my friend, please. Come back now."

Dark eyes, the alert expression somehow wrong – it should be deceptively lazy. "Stop being troublesome, Naruto."

A girl, brown hair and many weapons. "Naruto… please stop now."

A boy, pale eyed like the first girl. "You are worrying your friends, Naruto. Stop."

Yet another boy, his weight hiding his enormous strength. "Hey, Naruto… cut that out."

Dark hair, red eyes, a voice masking concern with anger. "Naruto, you idiot. You're always telling me not to rely so much on the Sharingan's power – are you going to rely on that damn fox?!"

Finally, it turned back to the one in its' grasp. Seeing, smelling the tears in those eyes, something inside of the Jinchuuriki stirred. Its'… no, _his_ hands relaxed, allowing the Chunin in his grasp to breathe easily again. He stepped back, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, fighting the need to destroy. There was too much precious to him that could be damaged if he gave in.

-

His breathing becoming ragged, Naruto stumbled back, flinching when Iruka laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. The other children murmured worriedly, but obediently stepped back when Iruka gestured for space. The Chunin was very concerned – the boy's chakra kept flaring, and he was curling in on himself as if he were in pain. His clothing was ragged, the intensity of the chakra shredding strips out of it even as they stood there.

Iruka fought of the urges to flinch as that same chakra opened a number of small cuts on his arms. He spoke quietly, calmly, trying to soothe the distraught boy. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Jounin gathered nearby share grim glances, fingering weapons reluctantly. Iruka felt a swell of cold panic, and then his attention was caught by the flash of white appearing at his side.

A strong hand pushed the teacher slightly to the side, and the person's other hand, glowing with chakra, slammed into Naruto's stomach. The boy shouted, collapsing to his knees, and Iruka shoved the strange man away from his student. Almost instantly, the older shinobi found himself facing over a dozen of Sanctuary's finest.

Kakashi, apparently recovered from his period of unconsciousness, snarled. "Jiraiya, what the _hell_?!"

It was only the fact that Kakashi apparently knew this man that kept the others from attacking. As it was, this 'Jiraiya' prudently backed away, hands held harmlessly in front of him. "Relax, it's okay. I was just stabilizing the seal, that's all. I was helping, I promise!"

Trusting that the others would watch the newcomer, Iruka turned back to Naruto, watching closely. Sure enough, the red chakra was receding, drawing back until there was only the familiar blue eyes in that face. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, and Jiraiya grinned nervously, vaguely wondering where Kakashi had disappeared to. He wanted an ally there – the Jounin had been bad enough, but those kids had had death in their eyes.

It was a little creepy.

-

While the rebels were gathered around the Kyuubi vessel, Danzo slowly, painfully levered himself up to his hands and knees. His head spinning, gasping for breath as he fought back waves of pain, the Hokage began to drag himself away from the enemy. He grinned faintly, an ironic twist of the lips.

"They did me a favor" he murmured, the words slurred because of his jaw. "Those kids, there's no way… that they could kill a defenseless enemy. They're… too nice… no way… they could murder in cold blood.

"No, they couldn't." Danzo froze, breath abandoning him at the frost in that voice, the hand laid almost gently on the nape of his neck. "But I can." A sudden motion, a sharp snapping sound, and the tyrant of Konoha died before he hit the ground.

Kakashi stepped away from the body, and did not look back as he rejoined the others.


	38. Epilogue for now

**A/N:** Last chapter, everyone. Thank yous go out to all of you who've stuck with me this far, and especially to: **Yokura, Silvergem88, micah.n10, melissa, VescaWithoutWings, deerang88, The Laughing Phoenix, Fritter, DarkRavie, ShiroLight, DarkAuroran, SilverWhiteDragon, Thealie, kerumica, Rangerfan58, iNsAnE nO bAkA, incensedance, dundee998, Belladonna-LaMorte, Tara La'Quinn, Hebi R, Kasumi9-9, Wolfkun, zalablack, kittycat5261, WhyMustIWrite, singing ferret **and **Weavers.**

Now if you'll indulge me, I have a question for you readers. As some of you know, I'm planning on writing two tie-ins to this story. One will be a sort of prequel, with the war and Danzo's rise to power. The other will follow this story, with the rebuilding and all. Now, I **will** write both of these - just one at a time. So, anybody have a preference on which one you'd like to read first?

* * *

After the scare with Naruto, everyone except Iruka and the blond himself - who wasn't feeling well - split back up to rejoin the battles still raging in their Village. But once the fighting ended – save for a few minor skirmishes being finished near the village's outer walls – the Sanctuary crew gathered again at the pre-designated rendezvous point. And for many, their families gathered with them.

Iruka looked around, finally relaxing as he saw all of 'his' kids with only minor injuries. The teenagers, however, were ecstatic. Each teen or child reported to their sensei, and then split off into their own smaller subgroups. The reactions of his Shinzui and his undercover allies were particularly notable.

Sai stood on the edges of the group, watching in wide-eyed wonder as the friends and families interacted. Iruka couldn't help but snicker a little when the former ROOT operative pulled out a small pad of paper and actually took notes.

Shikaku stood back, hiding his grin as Shikamaru was alternately hugged and shaken by his mother.

Ino settled down beside her father, chatting animatedly about everything prior to the fight – including the day he had nearly given her a panic attack by handing her one of Sanctuary's carved trinkets.

Choji eagerly accepted a bag of snacks from his dad, apologizing for telling Iruka that they could continue to raid Chouza's store.

Hanabi ran to be folded into her father's arms, and after a moment of hesitation, Hinata stepped up more slowly. "I'm sorry, daddy" the young heiress whispered, tears clogging her throat. "I'm so sorry, for everything." The man just pulled her close, shaking his head and shushing his eldest as he held his daughters tight.

Tsume slung an arm around each of her children's necks, her grin wide as she listened to Kiba brag to his sister.

Shino got more pats on his shoulders from the team then he had ever received in his life, and he shared a proud smile with his father.

Sakura quickly checked over each of their injuries, healed a gash on Lee's arm, and then made her excuses and bolted. She raced into the civilian shelter nearest to her house and immediately sought out her parents. "I'm home" she cried, embracing her astounded mother as her father crowded close. "I've missed you both so much, but I'm home."

Lee hesitated, but a casual question soon had him engaged in a lively discussion with Gai on taijutsu.

Neji stood beside his father, quietly talking as they watched Hiashi and his daughters reunite.

Tenten followed Sakura, but broke away at the shelter to find her own family. A broad grin spread over her face at their dumbfounded expressions as they took in the sight of her battle gear and the hitai-ate proudly tied around her forehead.

Kakashi was surrounded after the arrival of his ANBU squad, Hare giving him a quick hug. Drake – half supported by Boar due to mild injury – reached out to punch the Copy Ninja on the arm, and all four of them laughed.

Sasuke ducked his head and grumbled when Itachi placed an arm around his shoulders, but everyone kindly pretended not to notice the tiny smile on the teen's lips, or the faint blush dusting his cheeks.

Naruto leaned up against Iruka, and the teacher put an arm around the shoulders of his first ward. "We did it, didn't we, Sensei?" the blond asked, his voice unusually gentle, even slightly awed.

"Yes, Naruto. We did it."

-

_**Two days later**_

"YOU WANT ME TO DO _WHAT_?!" The sharp cry rang out, letting everyone in the Tower know _exactly_ what the speaker thought of _that_ idea – whatever it was. Inside one of the conference rooms, Tsunade folded her arms across her chest. "No. Absolutely not. You talked me into helping you save this town, but that's _it_. I won't do it. I-"

"Fine." Tsunade blinked, brought up short by the surprisingly cold tone in the young voice. All of the Jounin turned to look as Naruto continued, his words oddly calm. "Go then."

Kakashi's tone was sharp. "Naruto, that's enough!"

"NO!" the boy snapped, sounding more like his usual self as he gestured to the other Sanctuary fighters around him. "We've worked too hard, for too long to hand Konoha over to someone who doesn't give a damn about it! If you don't want to lead, or even be here, then fine. Go. We don't need someone like that. We had a Hokage who only cared about what he wanted, and look where _that_ got us! We-"

"Naruto." Iruka's voice was calm, the hand he laid on the blond's shoulder gentle. But it quieted the boy faster than any screaming could have. All of Iruka's children could hear the steel under his words. "You've made your point. I'm sure she understands." Serious eyes raised to meet shocked ones. "But he's right. The office shouldn't be taken by one who has no desire to protect."

Naruto tugged on his teacher's sleeve, confidence slightly tinged with anxiety. "It's okay, Sensei. I'll be the Hokage if I have to. You can all help me, and we'll make Konoha a home again."

Tsunade stared, looking into the eyes of the people around her as the other Genin agreed quietly. From the battle-hardened – and, in some cases, battle-_weary_ – gazes of the Jounin, to the gentle steel in the Chunin's brown eyes, or the fire and determination of the children, all she saw was strength.

She lowered her eyes, shame welling up from some long-forgotten place inside of her. "All right" she nearly whispered. All eyes turned back to her, including those blue ones that had just looked at her with such disappointed anger. Tsunade straightened her spine, pulling her shoulders back as she looked up at them all.

"All right" she said again, more firmly this time. "This place needs a healer almost as much as it needs a leader, so I'll be your Hokage." She looked straight at Naruto. "But you'd better grow up fast, so you can take the title yourself when I'm ready to retire, you got it, brat?"

Tsunade laughed, buoyed by the nearly blinding smiles that broke out on so many young faces.

Hinata squealed, lightly hugging Naruto as Sakura did the same to Sasuke. Kiba pulled Lee into a headlock, ruffling his friend's hair as the older boy laughed. Ino pulled her fists close, hissing "_yes!_" as Chouji, Shikamaru and Shino shared broad grins. Tenten pushed Neji playfully on the shoulder while Iruka smiled in relief.

Naruto punched a fist in the air. "I will! You can believe it!"

In that moment of celebration, no one noticed when Shizune took a snapshot of the gathered Sanctuary shinobi.

-

It took much hard work, with many violent battles and less bloody, though still bitter struggles before Konoha was returned to its' former glory. But all those years later, when Konoha's children had only a theoretical understanding of war and the adults laughed freely, two things remained the same.

Once a year, during the festival honoring the triumph of the Will of Fire, an older, scarred Academy instructor would always pull out a treasured photograph, gathering wide-eyed children around him. He told the story of Konoha's Legendary Heroes, frequently augmented by the visit of one or more of said Heroes – who always scolded "Sensei" for not including himself among them.

And the Seventh Hokage would always have his wild blond hair ruffled fondly when old friends – and new families – gathered together.


End file.
